Somebody To Love
by Zarathustrian
Summary: When a shocking secret is revealed about Jane's family, the Detective is thrown for a head-spin. But with Maura as her back-up, the one who always has her back, surely she can weather the storm?


**Disclaimer – These characters are not my own, they merely visit me from time to time and torment me with knowing smiles and questions like 'Unzip me?'. What's a girl to do? **

**A very heartfelt thanks to _RaynaDarkstorm_ for her beta-reading my work and making this piece a better one for you all! **

**As always, any feedback, critique or general comments are welcome. And as always, my apologies for all the alerts those of you following me received today – and I had a few minor disagreements! **

Dr. Maura Isles tentatively placed one Jimmy Choo heeled foot in front of the other. Glancing up ahead, she spied the rather attractive form of her good friend and colleague, Det. Jane Rizzoli. That her favorite pair of pumps were ruined was Jane's fault. After all, who insisted upon taking their dog for a walk without knowing recent rainfall had left the soil unstable and sodden?

Maura had to admit; it wasn't entirely Jane's fault. That Jo Friday had managed to wriggle free of her collar when both the M.E and the Detective were peering into the display windows of several boutiques along the way was not technically anyone's fault. Still, Maura could not help the dismal look that stretched across her features as the toe of her heel disappeared into a particularly deep mud pile.

"Jo!" Jane's voice echoed through the wooded area. Boston Common was a popular destination for dog walkers and nature aficionados and although it was not her favorite place, Maura could most certainly see the appeal. With dusk settling upon them and the tree leaves wonderful shades of orange, red and brown, it was almost... romantic. Biting back the thought, Maura glanced nervously to Jane. Telepathy was not a human characteristic, after all.

"C'mon Maura!" Jane appeared beside the woman without warning and the M.E threw an irritated glance at her friend.

"I'm finding it difficult to navigate the terrain."

"What? Why?" Jane cocked her head to one side, holding Maura's gaze.

"It's highly unlikely Jimmy meant for his craft to be used in such a fashion."

"You're worried about your shoes? Jo's lost!"

Feeling a twinge of guilt, Maura ducked her head as she yanked her heel from the patch of mud. Inhaling deeply, she looked to Jane with apologetic eyes.

"You're right. The heels aren't important." Although it pained her to admit that.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Jane's tone was laced with light sarcasm, which the M.E missed. Brightly smiling she grabbed the Detective's arm.

"That would be helpful!" Maura made a move to leap into Jane's arms.

"Maura!" The squeal came as the raven-haired woman stepped back, giving a laugh. Maura smirked at their playful banter, though it was short-lived as Jane switched back to concerned pet owner mood swiftly.

"Jo Friday! Come on! Korsak will kill me if I've lost you." Jane declared, lowering her voice as she glanced about, moving away from Maura. A chilled wind swirled around the pair and Maura shivered, the stitching on her Chanel lightweight sweater not strong enough to keep the cold from stinging her skin. Jane glanced over and gave a gentle smile, shrugging out of the matching jacket she wore with her black pantsuit. Sliding it onto Maura's shoulders, the two women merely shared a smile as Jane turned away again.

Wrapping the jacket about her, Maura could not help but lift the sleeve to her nostrils, inhaling gently. The scent of white jasmine, blended with just a hint of patchouli assaulted Maura's senses and she felt giddy, although she knew that was connected more to the increased heart rate and endorphins swimming through her system that the look Jane had given her had produced.

"Are you coming?" Jane called, impatiently. The Medical Examiner dropped the sleeve and hurried as fast her her Choos would allow. The dusk had slowly turned to darkness now, the old-style street lamps that lined the paths of Boston Common began flickering, then offering a strong glow of yellow light. To Maura it seemed they'd walked from one side of the Common to the other and there was still no sign of the mixed-breed Terrier.

With a dejected sigh, Jane let her shoulders slump as she mounted the short flight of stairs leading into the Parkman Bandstand, leaning against the lattice-style fencing that encompassed the pagoda. Standing beside her friend, Maura took note of the light shower that poured down from the heavens and repressed a shiver.

"It's late, Jane." Maura pointed out. Jane's jaw set rigidly. Hesitantly, the M.E placing her hand upon her friend's forearm. "Perhaps a goodhearted pedestrian found Jo?"

"They'd have called. My cell is on her tag." Jane pointed out. Maura knew that, of course, but had wanted nothing more than to try to cheer her friend. "This just isn't like her!"

"Most terrier breeds are remarkably similar. Often they are described as quick to bark, quick to chase, lively, bossy, feisty, scrappy, clever, independent, stubborn, persistent, impulsive, intense. They are likely to take off after anything that runs."

"Not helping, Mar." Jane sighed, pushing herself away from the lattice and pacing to the center of the bandstand. "I'm just so worried about her."

Inching closer, although somewhat stung by Jane's remark that she had not been of any assistance, the amber-haired woman hesitantly placed her hands upon Jane's shoulders. When the gesture was not rebuffed, she inched a tad closer until she could put her arm about Jane's shoulder entirely, trying to offer silent comfort to her friend.

"Why don't we head back towards the lagoon? Perhaps she's doubled back on us."

"We can try." Jane replied dejectedly as she moved away from the M.E's embrace and for a moment, Maura was struck with a sense of unpleasantness, the feel of the cold air replacing the warmth Jane had radiated.

The pace Jane set was frantic and Maura once again found herself struggling to keep up, although at least they remained on the sidewalks laced through the Common. Crossing Charles Street, Jane broke into a sprint as she heard the sound of familiar barking. Jo's yelp came in short, sharp bursts and Jane did not spare Maura a thought as she disappeared from the M.E's sight.

"Jo!" Maura heard Jane's delighted cry as she reunited with her beloved hound and she gave a soft smile, picturing the look of joy that would cause Jane's smoldering eyes to shine brightly. "What are you..." Maura frowned as Jane's voice trailed off and the woman pushed herself to walk faster, coming into the clearing where she spied Jane, Jo and one rather deceased young man.

* * *

><p>"Really? <em>Really<em> Maura?" Jane's irate voice carried through the Boston Commons as she glared at the M.E.

"Jane, we don't know if Jo ingested anything from the body."

"That's just wrong." Jane whined. Maura held the Detective's gaze until the taller woman backed down and proceeded to hand Jo over to the Crime Scene Technician. The Terrier would remain under close observation for the next twenty-four hours, her excrement would be carefully scrutinized in case, as Maura suggestion, the hooch had indeed eaten something. Maura could see the very idea of it all made Jane somewhat nauseous.

"You could always do it." Maura suggested brightly. The look on Jane's face caused the M.E's smile to waver slightly, then return full force. Groaning, the Detective turned away, relieved to see Korsak approaching, balancing an umbrella in one hand whilst holding his tie close to his body with the other. Chortling, Jane nudged Maura.

"You think Korsak had a hot date tonight?" Maura grinned.

"I would say the odds are in your favor that you're right."

When Korsak finally joined them, Maura left Jane to debrief the older Detective, turning her attention back to the body. It was extremely inconvenient to her that the body had not been found until after darkness had fallen, thus decreasing the chance of finding evidence, as if the light rainfall was not problematic enough. Pitching a sigh, she squared her shoulders as she stepped over the yellow crime scene tape and carefully picked a path back to the body, quite sure she was completely retracing her steps.

The gaping wound in the man's upper chest cavity was a result of a gunshot, point blank. Death had come quickly for the man and relatively painless once he had lost consciousness. Maura took small solace in knowing this as she held his vacant gaze. Studying his features closely, it occurred to her that there was something ever-so-vaguely familiar about his asymmetrical facial structure, something she could not quite place.

Tucking the skirt of her Givenchy dress beneath her, Maura knelt with care as she continued to observe the man's slightly bloated face. Having pulled the man's shirt aside, Maura cut a small incision into the flesh and inserted the thermometer, pushing with just a tad more force than normal to fully insert the device into the man's liver.

"That looks...pleasant." Jane's voice alerted the Medical Examiner to her friend's presence and she glanced up, tossing amber curls back from her face in the process.

"This will help establish time of death."

"I know." Jane gave a smile to counter-balance the semi-serious tone of her voice. Maura gave a somewhat apologetic smile as she turned back to the victim. Removing the thermometer, she glanced at it, made a note and then tilted her head to one side slightly.

"His algor mortis is 92.8° and it's," Maura stepped back, peeling off the blue latex gloves that had covered her delicate fingers. Withdrawing a cell phone from her pocket, she glanced at the screen of the BlackBerry, "77°. I would safely say time of death occurred within the last three hours."

Jane's expression darkened as she set her hands upon her hips, looking about. They were in a small clearing, no more than ten yards away from the lagoon itself. Although the area was shroud in trees and low bushes, it baffled the Detective how a body could go unnoticed for three hours; were people that involved in their own world? Belatedly, she recalled Jo escaping the leash because she'd not been paying attention to the pet, but to the woman beside her.

"Most people are almost entirely oblivious to their surroundings." Maura offered, seeing the expression upon the woman's face. "Evolution has changed mankind in a way that no longer sees him fully aware of his surroundings or potential predators."

"Yea? Someone should have told that to this guy." Jane jerked her thumb in the direction of the corpse and exhaled deeply.

Maura ignored the sarcastic comment from her friend and withdrew a fresh pair of latex gloves from the pocket of Jane's jacket, which still rest neatly about her slender frame. It did not surprise the M.E that Jane kept a stash of the standard procedure gloves on her person at all times, although it did surprise her to realize her friend could indeed be organized when necessary. Returning to stand over the body, Maura peered at the man's face.

Whilst Frost could not look a dead man in the eye and even Jane was at times squeamish, Maura could stare and observe for hours on end, if left to her own devices. There was simply so much a body could tell her, so much that could be communicated without verbalizing.

"Hey, I found something!" Frankie Rizzoli approached the group, a protective plastic cover over his police cap and a wallet in his hand. "Carson Anderson, 32. 439a Chestnut Street."

"That's two blocks from the Commons." Jane said, frowning as she took the wallet from her brother without so much as a word of thanks. Frankie looked like a puppy who'd just done something that warranted praise for all but a minute as he found himself dismissed by his sister.

"You think he was a regular jogger?" Korsak shifted to stand beside Jane.

"His attire indicates otherwise." Maura piped up, sliding beneath the crime scene tape and removing the gloves, placing them in one of the portable bio-hazard bags the crime techs brought along. "Valentino."

"It's a little early, but you're sweet Mar." Jane remarked dryly.

"Not _Valentine_, Valentino. Mr. Anderson is wearing a Roma black houndstooth wool 2-button suit," She glanced to the body once again, "With flat front pants."

Pleased with herself, Maura looked from Jane to Korsak expectantly. There were times when she could completely sympathize with the youngest Rizzoli child, the look Jane and Korsak gave her was somewhat dismissive. Shaking her head, Jane looked at the wallet in her hand once again.

"Frost, let's go. Korsak, we'll meet you back at the station." Jane commanded, as was often the case. Officer Rizzoli stood back from the scene uncertainly. Sharing a knowing smile with the young man, Maura slipped past him with only a twinge of guilt. If there was any evidence to be collected that could pertain to the case, Dr. Isles was best equipped and trained to seek it out and collect it.

"You got that?" Jane asked, glancing at the crime scene case Maura carted as she fell instep alongside the Detective, Barry Frost to Jane's left. With a smile, she allowed her friend to take the heavy case from her hands, skipping ahead just a few steps as they made their way down Charles Street, turning onto Chestnut a short while later. Glancing at the address he'd written down, Frost stopped outside a rather well-to-do looking townhouse apartment.

"439a." Barry announced, looking to the closest half of the building. The trio moved through the wrought iron fence and approached the front door. Setting the case down, Jane stepped to the doorbell and depressed it, shifting back to join her colleagues as they waited. A moment passed, then another, until finally the door opened to revealed a handsome man in naught but a silk kimono.

"I'm busy." The man drawled, his Greek accent thick, his eyes dismissive.

"We're looking for Carson Anderson's apartment?" Jane said, ignoring the man's comment. The mere mention of Carson's name, however, washed the uninterested look off the man's face.

"Carson lives with me."

"And you are?"

"Giannis."

"Giannis who?"

"Just Giannis!"

"Well, Just Giannis, can you tell me your relationship to Carson?" At Jane's question, a deeply troubled look fell across the man's face as he drew his arms about himself. Rubbing a hand over his bald head, Giannis looked to Jane, pleadingly.

"Tell me what's happened to him. Please."

"Jane," Maura spoke up insistently, pulling the Detective aside. "I believe they were a couple."

"Of what?"

"You know what I mean." Maura scolded and Jane blinked.

"Oh. Oh, of course. That's cool. I just didn't think..." Jane trailed off, realizing it didn't matter what she thought.

Stepping back to face Giannis, Jane cleared her throat and lowered her gaze briefly.

"I'm sorry, but we found Mr. Anderson's body in the Boston Commons about forty minutes ago." As Jane spoke, her hoarse voice carrying across to Giannis, the man's expression crumbled, as did his body and it was Frost who leaped forward to prevent the man from falling to the ground and harming himself.

Between the three of them, they managed to escort the distraught man into the foyer of his home, then through to an elaborately decorated sitting room, highlighted with gold and blue. It was clear to Jane that one of the two men certainly came from money. Easing Giannis onto the chaise lounge, Frost stepped back, although he kept a steadying hand on the man's shoulder.

"I'm sorry for your loss and I know you must have a lot of questions, but if you wouldn't mind answering some of ours first?" Jane asked, kneeling before Giannis and looking at him with genuine sympathy. Giannis crossed one leg over the other, fanning himself with his hand as he tried to control his tears and he gave a curt nod. "Would you mind if my partner had a look around?" Jane eased the question in, glancing not to Frost, but to Maura. This surprised the M.E, yet she said nothing.

"Of course." Giannis managed. "I have only been home a few hours at most."

"Where were you?"

"I was flying home from Greece..." Maura heard the answer trail off as she left the sitting room, pausing long enough to retrieve the crime case from beside the front door. Hoisting it with her up the winding flight of stairs, she glanced about the second floor, several closed doors confronting her.

The rooms were much as Maura expected them to be; a bedroom with an elaborate canopy bed, an impressive library that Maura felt just a twinge of envy over, two bathrooms and a dressing room. It was the room at the far end of the hall that caught the M.E's attention. The study was immaculate, to a fine point and Maura wondered if it was Carson who was so meticulous. Judging by the look of the suit he had worn, she reasoned it was possible.

It felt wrong, prying about the deceased's belongings and Maura had to push herself to continue snooping. This was Jane's domain, not Maura's. But, as she had learned with Rizzoli, the lines sometimes blurred and in the end, all that mattered was justice for the deceased. With that thought in mind, Maura continued to search until she came across the safe, hidden behind a rather impressive print of Monet's 'The Water Lily Pond'.

"What've you got?" Jane's voice drew Maura's attention to the lanky woman who came into the room, snapping on a pair of gloves. It was undeniable that each time Maura saw Jane, she felt as if the woman took her breath away. And, if she were to be truly honest with herself, each time Jane snapped on those latex gloves, it gave Maura a slight thrill, although she knew that was more a physical reaction to a sound perception.

"A safe. Although I don't believe Giannis is in any condition to give us the combination."

"There could be something in there, something that might suggest why someone would want to murder Carson." Jane pointed out. "Don't you know how to crack a safe?"

"What makes you think I would know that?" Maura asked, mock indignation, although it was true; she could not have cracked the device even if she'd wanted to.

"I'll be right back." Jane declared as she departed the room, once again leaving Maura to her own devices. Inhaling deeply, Maura could smell the lingering scent the woman left behind, the same scent of jasmine and patchouli that she'd smelled on Jane's jacket. Which, she realized, she still wore. It felt so comfortable, so right, to be wearing Jane's jacket, just as it had felt so right to wear Jane's entire outfit not so long ago. Maura had informed Jane, with quite a large dose of delight, that two women had hit on her. Of course, the M.E had informed Jane only to gauge her reaction and had hidden her disappointment when Jane had not given the one she'd wanted; jealousy.

At that moment, the Detective returned, breezing into the room. Offering Maura a wide smile, she stepped to the safe, cracked her knuckles and spun the dial.

"Left, right, left, right, left, right." Jane's tongue protruded between her lips as she concentrated and although Maura fought to keep her mind focused on the task at hand, she still could not stop herself from staring. Clearing her throat as Jane swung the safe door open, she looked to the Detective.

"Salsa steps."

"You salsa?"

"I dance, yes." Maura replied with a smile. "You should try it. With your prowess, you'd make a most excellent dance partner."

"Yea, I'll get right on that." Jane scoffed as she peered into the safe. "Well, what have we here?" Withdrawing a pen from the pocket of her business shirt, she reached in and withdrew the Glock. "Looks like we have ourselves a murder weapon."

* * *

><p>"You're wrong! You are so wrong! <em>Pidiksu<em>! _Na sou sheso sta moutra!_" Giannis' shouts echoed through the household as Frost escorted him from the sitting room towards the foyer. Emerging behind suspect and Detective, Jane hesitated in the doorway, glancing over at Maura. When the M.E's eyes widened in shock, Jane shook her head.

"Let me guess, he just insulted my mother, right?"

"Not entirely. The dialect is from Cyprus and he told you he was going to,"

"I got the gist." Jane stopped Maura from translating, although she threw Maura a glance that told the well-versed woman the Detective was somewhat impressed. The look made Maura smile in return, even as Giannis' heinous ranting continued.

"Jane?" Maura called as the slender woman made a move to follow both Frost and Giannis out the front door, Frost calling for a squad car to come collect them. "Don't you think we should bring him some pants?"

"Why? He's a suspect in a murder, not a guest of the state." Jane snorted. Maura frowned slightly and ignored the look of exasperation Jane threw in her direction as she moved towards the staircase. It took only a moment to retrieve a pair of pants for the man, along with a fresh shirt.

It was not until after Frost, Giannis and Frankie, who had brought the squad car to the townhouse, had left that Jane turned and contemplated her friend. They were making the brief journey back to the park to retrieve Maura's Prius, since the Medical Examiner did not fancy taking a taxi-cab back to her apartment. Once Maura had placed a call to the crime scene team to sweep Carson and Giannis' apartment first thing in the A.M, she slid her BlackBerry into her pocket and glanced at Jane.

"Why were you so nice to the suspect?" Jane asked. Maura blinked, surprised as her steps faltered. Jane had taken several steps ahead before she realized the M.E was no longer beside her and turned, frowning. "What?"

"He lost his lover tonight, Jane."

"And? Maybe he lost him because he shot him." Jane pointed out, dragging out her words with a sarcastic glare at the amber-haired woman.

"We don't know that."

"We found the gun in their apartment!"

"It's not concrete."

"It's enough to make an arrest, that's all I need." Jane declared. "You weren't so forgiving of that man who murdered his daughter two months ago."

"That was different." Mayra sniffed indignantly as she began walking at a brisk pace, over-taking Jane.

"Wait, why?" Jane jogged to catch up and fell in-step alongside the woman she'd obviously offended. "Why is this any different?"

"I feel for him." Maura announced. "I don't believe, in my heart, that he murdered a man he loved."

"Aren't you making an assumption? You hate making assumptions."

"Call it a feeling in my ventriculus."

"You mean a hunch, right?"

"Yes." Maura flipped a look at Jane. There were times, although they were far and few between, when it bothered the M.E that Jane corrected her, particularly when they were alone. Why did it matter if Maura said hunch or ventriculus?

"That doesn't really explain why you think he's innocent, Mar." Jane pointed out softly as they spied Boston Common ahead. On the other side, they would find Maura's car and the drive to Jane's apartment would be a short one. Despite the way the Detective was making her feel at that moment, Maura did not relish the thought of bidding her friend a good night.

"It doesn't matter, does it Jane? If he's guilty, we'll uncover him." Maura reasoned as she wrapped her arms about herself, a cold gust of wind sweeping past them both. Maura noticed that Jane moved a little closer to her, their shoulders jarring softly as they walked. The temptation to put her arm about Jane's waist was too strong and she did so, fearing rebuttal. Instead, Jane seemed quite pleased for the contact, although belatedly Maura realized it was for the warmth the gesture provided, if nothing else.

Too soon, they reached the Prius and Jane slid into the passenger seat as Maura pitched a soft sigh. Moving to the driver's side, she slid behind the wheel and started the engine, allowing it to idle as the heater blast, full strength. When she could feel her cheeks warming, she revved the engine and pulled away from the curb.

"It's strange, not having Jo home with me."

"Although at least you know where she is." Maura pointed out as they sat outside of Jane's apartment, the raven-haired woman not making a move to leave.

"And what she's being watched for. Ew." Jane remarked, grimacing again at the thought. "I don't envy... what was his name?"

"Steve." Maura offered, referring to the crime scene tech who would be on poop patrol.

"Yea, Steve." Jane nodded her head. "Well, I should head in. We'll interrogate Giannis in the morning."

"I'll get a rush on the ballistics." Maura promised as Jane twisted in her seat, swinging the door open and placing one foot outside of the vehicle. "I'll see you in the morning, Jane."

"G'night, Maura. And hey," Jane said as she climbed out of the car, turning to peer down at her friend, "Thanks for helping me look for Jo. I'm sorry our night didn't turn out the way we'd planned."

"It's fine, Jane. See you tomorrow." Maura offered with a warm smile. Waiting until Jane had disappeared into the building, Maura exhaled slowly. Granted, the evening they'd planned of watching 'the game' as Jane put it and ordering pizza had not panned out. Of course, it was more unfortunate for Carson Anderson, Maura mused as she pulled away from the curb.

Arriving at her own townhouse apartment, Maura quickly carried herself into her home, finding it cold and empty. Angela Rizzoli had gone to bed for the evening, the lights in the guest house were off and Maura sighed. The two women had formed quite the bond over the months and often, after a hard day, they would sit and talk of their day, of casual things, whilst eating sweet pastries left over that hadn't been sold at the Division One Cafe where Angela worked.

Tending to Bass, taking more than a minute or two to shower her pet with affection; after all, unlike Jo Friday, there was no chance of him ever escaping her, Maura undressed as she entered the bedroom, only then remembering she still wore Jane's jacket. Holding the garment out in front of her, she brought it to her face and inhaled deeply. Laying it upon the spare pillow upon her king-sized bed, Maura wasted little time preparing for sleep and crawled beneath the goose-feather duvet, snuggling against the pillow with Jane's jacket on it. It wasn't the lanky, handsome Detective. But it would suffice.

* * *

><p>The sound of the alarm, chirping incessantly, roused Maura from her slumber the following morning and she sat up in the bed blinking profusely. It always seemed the alarm clock sounded far too soon and she slapped it with her hand as she swung her legs from the bed. Although she was quite the early riser, in those few moments between being awoken and waking, Maura Isles was not quite her usual chipper self.<p>

Sweeping back shaggy locks of auburn haphazardly into a ponytail, she stripped out of the satin pajamas and into a pair of fitted stretch pants that clung to her legs, flaring out ever so slightly from the knee downwards and a sky-blue tank. Tying a sweater about her waist, she left the bedroom. Drinking down half a glass of orange juice, she swept up her kit bag and left the apartment.

After a vigorous Zumba session, she drove towards Boston PD, checking through the mental list she'd made whilst she'd bopped about the Zumba studio. First thing, she would check the crime lab's progress on the Glock they'd retrieved from Carson's safe. Secondly, she would begin the autopsy. From there, there would be an assortment of paperwork to sort through, death certificates to sign, reports to complete. Much more went into her position as Chief Medical Examiner than most realized, leaving her on a tight schedule.

Breezing into the police department, she flashed her I.D at the desk Sargent before moving through the turnstiles, still reminded of the time Bobby Marino had taken Jane as his human shield. As she rode the elevator to the ground floor, she closed her eyes and could just recall the sound of the gunshot that had torn through her friend. Even now, after all this time, it pained her to think of that day, to recall the feel of Jane's blood upon her hands.

Only the chime of the lift, alerting her that she'd arrived at her destination, drew her from her reverie. Sneakered feet carried the woman to the locker room where she showered and changed into the black scrubs she was accustomed to wearing; having no plan any time soon to leave the morgue.

"Mar!" Jane's voice caught her attention as she emerged from the locker room and she spun on one heel, a smile instantly pulling across her lips.

"Bright and early, Jane." Maura commented as she accepted the paper cup with the 'Division One Cafe' logo printed on one side. The cappuccino was perfect sipping temperature and she inhaled the aroma of arabica beans, glancing to Jane over the lid of her beverage.

"Thought I'd swing past. Hey, did I leave my jacket in your car last night?"

Maura blinked then swallowed the sip of coffee she'd taken before offering a toothy smile in Jane's direction. Technically, the Detective had not left the garment in her car and she grinned at her own cleverness.

"No, you did not leave it in my car."

"I could have sworn..." Jane trailed off, frowning slightly. "Doesn't matter. I came to see how Jo's going."

"Evidently, she's not... going." Maura announced after making a quick call to Steve, who sounded rather put-out. Maura could hear the terrier-mix in the background, howling. "I'm sure it will happen soon." Until it did, Jo would remain with her watcher.

"Great." Jane remarked. "I miss... you know. I just miss." Jane allowed, her 'dislike' of being a dog owner not fooling Maura for a moment, as it never had. Tossing a lock of hair back with a flick of her head, the M.E took another mouthful of coffee as she led Jane into the autopsy suite. "You think you'll retrieve much evidence?"

"Highly unlikely. Given the location of the body, the slight downpour, finding any physical evidence would be a surprise." Maura said as she set the cup down and moved over to the refrigeration unit, sliding the tray out that held the body of Carson Anderson.

With a sadness in her eyes, Maura retrieved the transportation device; similar to a forklift which slid beneath the tray holding the body and made it far easier to place the corpse upon the autopsy table, which she did whilst Jane looked on. Carson's skin was tinged blue from the cold condition he'd been kept in, his eyes closed and arms resting neatly by his side.

Standing across from Jane, the body between them, Maura proceeded to begin her usual ritual; checking over her instruments, testing the bone-cutter as it was commonly referred to. The small hand-held device caused Jane to make a small noise as it whirred and take a step back. There were just some things the Detective could not handle, the noise the instrument made being one of them.

"I'll be two, three hours at most." Maura offered to her friend as she set the scalpel she'd checked over aside. Jane nodded and took a step back, glancing over her shoulder.

"I'll be in the squad room. Text if you find anything?"

"I will." Maura promised, offering a smile. Watching as her friend left, she could not help but admire the swagger in Jane's step. A moment or so passed until she shook herself slightly, the Detective already out of sight, and turned her attention to the body before her. "Talk to me, Mr. Anderson."

Carson Anderson's DNA sat upon the wide screen and if Maura were not the professional she was, she'd have sat there staring at it with her mouth agape. Convinced the data before her was somehow false, that she had somehow made a mistake, she ran it again. And again. But each time, the result was the same. Feeling somewhat floored, the M.E rose and moved away from the computer screen. This most certainly explained that niggling feeling she'd felt since seeing Carson's face the day before.

Uncertain as to what to do with the information she had just discovered, Maura looked to Carson's body. The angry red stitching that sealed the y-incision hurt her eyes to look at and she stepped forward, covering his chest entirely with the white sheet. Peering down at his face, she studied it closely, intensely. So caught up in studying his features was she that she did not hear Jane approaching.

"Yea. He's dead." Jane dead-panned, leaning down beside Maura. The amber-haired woman almost toppled forward as she gave a gasp, thankful for Jane's quick reflexes.

"I know, thank you." She answered crisply, smoothing her fingers down the front of her scrubs. Jane gave Maura a pointed look.

"Cranky?"

"I am not cranky!" Maura snipped and then bit her tongue, turning away from Jane's prying chocolate eyes.

With a slight quirk to her smile, Jane shuffled her feet and stood in front of Maura, then shuffled again as Maura tried to wriggle away from the Detective.

"Mar, c'mon. What's up?" Jane asked casually, taking Maura's arm in her hand and holding onto it. For that brief moment, the M.E lost herself in Jane's touch before she shook her head, clearing away inappropriate work-place thoughts; something she was becoming accustomed to doing at a moment's notice.

"Jane, I... found something." She had to be honest with Jane, she had to tell her friend what she had discovered. "You know, we take a DNA profile and place it in the system for our records. It automatically runs through a cross-referencing system, in case the deceased is a Missing Persons and may have a potential match."

"Right..." Jane's eyes had glazed over and Maura frowned.

"This is important!" She scolded, feeling irritated that Jane could not see how serious she was, how much she needed the woman's complete attention. At the sound of Maura's tone, Jane snapped her eyes back to Maura's hazel ones.

Realizing they had drawn the attention of the various technicians scattered throughout the autopsy suite, Maura grabbed a hold of Jane's sleeve, dragging her towards the hallway. At the last minute, she changed her mind and instead pulled the lanky woman into the woman's locker room.

"Maura! What's with all the yanking me around?"

"I'm sorry, Jane. This is important, but it's private."

"Just tell me already!"

Inhaling deeply, Maura glanced about, as if she had not swept the empty room twice already as she'd pulled her friend into the white tiled room.

"It's about Carson Anderson, and my running his DNA through the system?"

"You got a hit? He's not Carson Anderson? What, Mar, what?"

"He's your half-brother." Maura heard the words tumble from her mouth and winced, having not quite wanted to blurt out such sensitive information so casually.

For a moment, Jane's eyes narrowed. Then a slow smile crawled across her face and she began to chuckle, slapping Maura playfully on the back, although without realizing her own strength. The Medical Examiner stumbled forward slightly, shaking her head and frowning at Jane.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Good one, Mar! Really, you had me going for a minute there!"

"Jane, I'm quite serious." Maura's expression held true to her words and slowly, the smile faded from Jane's thin lips.

The color drained from Rizzoli's face as she took a staggering step back and Maura grabbed onto the woman's arms, stabilizing her although she still swayed from side to side for several moments. Blinking rapidly, Jane drew in a deep breath, then another. Maura moved to stand beside the woman as she placed her arm firmly about Jane's waist, guiding her to the wooden bench in the center of the room, easing her down upon the seat. Jane lent forward, head between her knees as she began to inhale deeply.

"Try to relax, Jane."

"Relax?" Jane's voice squeaked. "Relax?" She repeated, swinging herself into an upright position and instantly swaying, crashing against Maura. Supporting her friend, Maura pushed a lock of hair from Jane's face; not for the first time wishing she could take away her friend's anguish. "No." Jane said suddenly, "This isn't right. There's a glitch in the system." Rising, the Detective began to pace the tiles, her practical heels stomping down upon the ground. Maura sat patiently, watching.

"Half-brother? How is that even possible?"

"Well, your mother could have had a child and not told you. Your father could have had an affair..." Maura trailed off as she realized, by the look Jane threw at her, now was not the time to mention any of the various theories that could offer any kind of explanation.

"I'll go and ask Ma." Jane declared. "That's exactly what I'll do." Before Maura could even protest, the lightly tanned woman picked up the pace, jogging out of the locker room. In that split second between her departure and Maura following her, the M.E exited the locker room in time to see the stairwell door swing shut in Jane's wake. Wishing she'd handled the entire situation differently, Maura waited for the elevator as she rocked back on her heels. The massive steel doors slid open before her and she entered the tiny room that would carry her upstairs, although to what she could not guess.

* * *

><p>Aware of the strange looks thrown in her direction, Maura pressed on, passing uniformed officers and Detectives in their street clothes. Wishing now she'd worn her usual attire and opted to simply pull on a protective gown that she could have easily torn from her body and avoided the stares she was now receiving due to the black medical scrubs she wore, Maura quickly dismissed the selfish thoughts and concentrated on catching up with Jane. Entering the small cafe, she spied Angela Rizzoli behind the cash register and no sign of the irate Detective.<p>

"Dr. Isles, what a pleasant surprise." Angela rasped as she spied Maura, offering a wide smile to the woman who was almost as good a friend to her as she was to Angela's daughter. "I missed you this morning."

"Yes, I had Zumba."

"You know, I don't understand why they have to call dancing such a funny name." Angela mused aloud, as was often her habit.

"Alberto Perez 'invented' the technique quite by mistake. Having forgotten his usual tape of aerobic music for a session, he used what he had available to him in the early 90s." Maura replied. The two were rather well suited in that way; Angela would pose a statement, Maura would offer a snippet of trivia in response. The two could carry out an entire conversation in that manner, much to Jane's frustration.

And just as she thought of her friend, Maura turned to see Jane approaching, somewhat out of breath. The three-flight climb had left the woman somewhat winded, stealing the thunder she'd left the morgue with. Maura stepped back from the register, placing herself between it and her friend.

"This isn't the time, Jane." She said, lowering her voice and holding Jane's angry gaze.

"I need answers, Maura." Jane snapped, moving to brush the shorter woman aside. Holding her ground, Maura surprised the Detective who stared at her defiantly. "Move, Maura." The words were harsh, feeling like a slap to the face, yet still Maura did not comply.

Jane realized what Maura was doing and pursed her lips together, taking a step back as she brought her hands together, linking all but her pointer fingers which she then pressed to her lips, waiting. Maura still did not step aside, folding her arms across her chest as she glared at her friend. Well aware of several sets of eyes beginning to glance over in curiosity, Maura cleared her throat.

"Turn around, Jane. And walk out of here. Now." Still keeping her tone soft, Maura refused to break eye contact with her friend. Jane looked as if she was torn between either tackling the M.E or simply doing as she was told. Fortunately, she opted for the latter and slowly spun on her heel. Waiting until the young Rizzoli had cleared the cafe, Maura glanced back at Angela. Having witnessed the entire scene, she looked to Maura, confused. Shaking her head slightly, Maura gave a look that told the woman she'd explain later, although she had no intention of doing so; the confrontation Jane sought would happen, just not there and then in front of her colleagues. Saving her from that was the least Maura felt she could do.

Without a word, Jane had walked away from Maura and the medical examiner assumed the Detective had gone to blow off steam somewhere. All she could do was hope that Jane would return to her as she rode the elevator down to the basement of Boston PD once again. Entering her domain, she found herself swept up in the things she'd missed while she was gone. It was half an hour before she was able to check in with ballistics and she entered the crime lab, her very presence demanding respect and attention of her interns and subordinates.

"Dr. Isles, there's no trace of GSR on the weapon. We've ran the tests twice; this gun hasn't been fired recently."

"Thank you, Anna." Maura offered a genuine smile to the petite, quite handsome, young blonde. The young intern beamed, as if surprised Maura had remembered her name which was, in Maura's opinion, foolish; she rarely forgot a name of a staff member, no matter how long or short their stay with her was. Glancing at the report, she sighed. Doubting that Jane would answer her text or call, she scrolled through her contacts until she came across Frost and tapped out a brief message to him.

"We've had crime scene techs on site all day," Frost spoke as he entered the morgue, although not before his eyes had diverted to the table, relief washing across his face as he realized the table was devoid of any body. "They've found hairs, fibers and fingerprints that are en-route to the lab now."

"I'll oversee the testing myself." Maura told him as she made a note of the time. Given it was mid-afternoon and Carson Anderson's apartment was just a hop, skip and jump away from the Boston PD, she anticipated the arrival of the team momentarily.

With that thought in mind, she turned away from Barry and left the suite, moving to the lab to begin prepping for the onslaught of evidence she and the team would begin to rifle through. A somewhat surprised Frost followed her.

"Was there anything else, Detective?" Maura asked, hearing how clipped her tone seemed but unable to prevent it. Forefront on her mind was Jane; she wondered when the distraught woman would return or how much longer she could resist the urge to go after her.

"Uh... no. Are you alright, Dr. Isles?"

"I'm fine, thank-you."

"O...K then." Barry pitched a sigh as he smoothed over his tie, leaving the lab. Watching him go, Maura felt a twinge of guilt. She would apologize to him later, she thought to herself, just as the team arrived, coming through the back loading bay. It was not long before she had completely forgotten about Frost and the apology she would give him, caught up in a sea of evidence bags.

* * *

><p>Exhausted, Isles exited the lab and made a bee-line for the locker room. The entire rest of her day had been spent cataloging evidence into the system and beginning initial tests, tests that would take a better part of a week to complete, unless she 'lit a fire' beneath her crew. Although she certainly felt a sense of urgency, wanting to do anything that could perhaps bring Carson's murderer to justice sooner, she would not push her staff unless it was hinted that she should.<p>

Having sent Jane half a dozen text messages, Maura was quite displeased with the woman for not having the curtsey to at least reply to one of them, even if it had been a simple 'Go away'. At least it would have been better than nothing, the M.E mused as she made her farewells for the day and left the morgue.

To her surprise, when she arrived at her Prius, she found Jane sprawled out across the passenger seat.

"Jane! What are you doing in my vehicle?"

"It's roomy." Jane replied, desolately.

"More to the point," Maura said as she slid behind the wheel, "How did you get in?"

"I have a key." Jane sighed.

"Ah, DABDA." Maura commented sagely as she glanced at her friend's forlorn expression in the rear view mirror, smiling softly as it changed briefly to one of confusion, then back to unhappiness.

"Mar, I'm not in the mood. No acronyms right now."

"Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. You seem to be in the depression phase." Maura slid the key into the ignition, the Prius' superior engine practically purring. "I assume you will be confronting your mother in my apartment?"

"You _assume_ correctly." Jane answered dryly. Maura gave a quick nod as she concentrated on the road, a heavy rainfall having begun.

Before long, they'd arrived and both women made a mad dash for the front door, Jane shaking the raindrops from her hair as Maura fumbled with the door, swinging it open. The smell of Italian cooking assaulted her senses in a most pleasant way and she smiled as she shrugged out of her coat, carrying it with her and draping it across the back of her office chair. Jane slumped into the room, glancing over at her mother. The steam she'd had much earlier was now completely spent and Maura accredited that to Jane having gone through much of the DABDA process since earlier that day.

"I hope you don't mind, I figured it was a good night for a little home-cooking."

"I don't mind at all." Maura offered with a smile, one which faltered as the sound of Jane flopping onto her sofa distracted her. Offering Angela a quick glance, she stepped past the older woman and retrieved two wine tumblers, setting them upon the counter, mindful of Angela's work space. Filling them, she carried one over to Jane before returning to retrieve her own. Swirling the tumbler in her hand idly, she glanced over at the sofa, seeing only Jane's feet hanging off one end and tousled locks off the other.

"I think I'll just go freshen up." Maura announced.

"No," Jane pushed herself up with her elbows, craning her neck to peer over the back of the lounge suite. "Stay." The pleading look in Jane's eyes pulled on Maura's heart strings and she dipped her head in agreement, taking a sip of the Valandraud, enjoying its rich and spicy structure. Not entirely sure what to do with herself, she rest against the kitchen counter as Jane hoisted herself onto her feet and approached, pulling out one of the low-backed bar stools and easing into it.

"Ma." Jane cleared her throat.

"Oh, hello dear. How was your day, dear?" Angela asked, a light trace of sarcasm in her tone to inform her daughter she was none to pleased at being ignored. Jane rolled her eyes and promptly ignored the not-so-subtle hint.

"Ma, I..." Jane glanced to Maura, as if she could somehow give Jane an unspoken suggestion as to how to broach what would be a difficult subject. "I found something out to day."

"Oh?"

"Something important. I'm kind of stuck wondering why you didn't tell me sooner."

"What are you talking about?" Angela set the pairing knife in her hand aside, which in a moment of hindsight, Maura considered was a wise idea. Wiping her hands on a dishrag, Angela tossed it over one shoulder and gave her daughter her complete attention.

"You hear about the man who was shot in the Boston Commons?"

"Terrible tragedy." Angela shook her head, tutting.

Jane pitched a sigh. Maura could empathize with the Detective; there was no easy way to approach the subject. This was why, Maura thought to herself, she bluntly asked her questions and made her comments, it saved the need to dance around a subject and she was quite tempted to do so in this situation. It was not her place, however, and she still felt as if she'd done Jane a great disservice by not telling her of Carson in a better fashion.

"The man's name? Carson Anderson. That ring any bells?" For only the briefest of fleeting moments, Angela's eyes widened. Maura was not entirely sure she'd seen the gesture at first, but Jane certainly caught it. "Ha! It does."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Angela said, although it was now quite apparent she was lying as she tried to busy herself as a means of distracting her daughter, breaking her concentration in a futile hope Jane would not ask any more questions.

"You know what I'm talking about, Ma. You know who I'm talking about. You know who Carson Anderson is, don't you."

"What if I did?" Angela asked, her tone challenging as her eyes flashed with anger at her daughter. This was not a conversation she ever thought she'd be having. Certainly, she'd entertained the notion once or twice, but had dismissed it. Janie, Frankie and Tommy were never meant to find out.

Maura looked to Jane and could see the woman quickly reaching the end of her tether. Clearing her throat, Maura broke through Jane's concentration and received a dark stare for her troubles.

"Perhaps we should talk about this like adults? Sit down and Jane, you can ask your questions and Angela, you can answer them."

"No, there's nothing to talk about!" Angela declared unexpectedly, waving her hands about dismissively. Yanking off the green and white striped apron she wore, she tossed it onto the counter, no one noticing the red stain that began to spread through the cotton; the tomatoes she'd boiled earlier seeping into the material. As Angela made a move for the front door, Jane stood.

"He's my half-brother, Ma." Angela Rizzoli froze, her back turned on her daughter. Both Maura and Jane could see the woman's shoulders lift and slowly drop as she inhaled, then exhaled. Anticipation built as slowly, Angela glanced over her shoulder. At first, neither woman heard what Angela said and she hung her head for a moment before turning slowly to face her daughter.

"Janie. I know."

* * *

><p>Maura looked to Jane, seeing the incredulous expression upon the woman's face, then glanced to Angela. Neither woman seemed able to move, to speak another word after Angela's revelation. Clearing her throat, Maura stepped forward between them, causing them to both look in her direction.<p>

"Why don't we sit?" Maura said softly, taking each woman by the arm and guiding them towards the sofa. Placing Angela on one end of the sofa and Jane on the other, Maura perched herself ever so carefully on the edge of the David Lloyd Thompson coffee table, a one-of-a-kind piece. Reaching out, she placed her hand upon Jane's thigh and the Detective glanced up at her friend, dark eyes forlorn. It caused her chest to ache to see her friend in such obvious distress, just as it hurt her to see Angela Rizzoli suffering.

"Angela, you said you knew. Talk to Jane." Maura offered, guiding the conversation. Angela inhaled deeply and shook her head, lifting her hands to her face as she sighed.

"I don't know where to start." Angela's voice rasped as she look from her daughter to her friend.

"Try at the beginning, Ma." Jane's voice with thick with angry sarcasm and Angela looked sharply at her daughter.

"Don't you take that tone with me, young lady."

Jane, properly put in her place, slumped back in her seat, arms folded across her chest like a petulant child. Angela straightened in the arm chair and sniffed as she squared her shoulders.

"Your father had a second family." The words came out of seemingly nowhere and both Jane and Maura's eyes widened as their gaze flew to the woman sitting across from them, her hands balled tightly in her lap, knuckles whitening. Jane sat upright as she inched closer to her mother.

"What? Ma? I don't understand."

"I've never told you kids why your father and I divorced."

"I assumed it was because you and Pop didn't love each other anymore." Jane's voice was childlike as she spoke, her gaze lowering.

"Oh, sweetheart, not at all. I loved your father very, very much. But when I found out about his other... woman," Angela managed with great difficultly, the subject still quite raw and close to her heart as was to be expected, "I couldn't accept that about him, I couldn't understand. I told him to choose. He did."

Jane felt a surge of anger rise within her towards her father, towards a man who was now a complete stranger to her. Although Jane had always felt her father was there for her, supported her and would protect her, all that washed from her mind now as she pictured him and realized she truly did not know him. The realization was almost as bad as when Maura had informed her that Carson was her half-brother and she felt the blood drain from her face.

Maura watched as her friend's expression paled and she swayed slightly, she could not imagine the thoughts swirling through her mind and leaped from the coffee-table to sit beside her friend, putting a supportive arm about Jane's shoulders. Angela lowered her head, a tear trickling down her cheek and Maura was not unaware of that as she reached out and placed her other hand upon the older woman's knee.

"I need space." Jane said unexpectedly as she stood swiftly, moving quickly towards the front door and then through it. Maura blinked back her surprise as her gaze met Angela's. Standing, she took a step towards the front foyer, then hesitated.

"Angela..." Maura trailed off, entirely uncertain as to what words of comfort she could offer her friend. A part of Maura wondered why Angela had not been honest with her children from the start, although it was perfectly understandable given it was human nature to hide things that made a person feel vulnerable or inadequate.

"Go after her, Dr. Isles. You're a good friend." Angela said dejectedly as she stood up, slapping her hands on her thighs. "Janie will come back to me, we'll talk more about this then." She said assuredly and Maura gave a slight nod, offering a gentle smile before she followed Jane's footsteps out the front door.

Given Jane's longer stride, she was already quite a ways away from Maura's home and it took the M.E several moments to catch up with her, calling to her as she skipped along the pavement.

"I need space, Mar!"

"You need to talk to someone."

"What's talking going to do?" Jane snapped, finally coming to a stand still as she turned and face the amber-haired woman. "My father, this whole time, he had this secret family I knew nothing about! That _Ma_ knew nothing about! And now, I not only find out about it, but the half-brother I never knew is dead. Dead, Maura!" Jane was practically screaming, the rage and hurt in her face almost too much for Maura to bear witness to.

"I understand." Maura offered.

"You don't." Jane spat and instantly, the Detective realized what she'd said and looked apologetically to her friend. Maura pursed her lips together, glancing away from Jane. The comment had stung; if anyone could come close to understanding what Jane was feeling, it was indeed her. Yet Jane had not seen that until it was too late and she had lashed out at her friend.

"Maura, I'm sorry." Jane offered as she shortened the distance between them. Maura shook her head curtly.

"It's fine, Jane." It wasn't.

"No, really. I shouldn't have said that."

"Don't worry about it." Maura suddenly did not feel like allowing Jane into her personal space and as the lanky figure moved closer, she stepped back. "Maybe you do need some space, some time to cool down." Even as she said it, she wished it weren't true and could see by the look of surprise in Jane's face that it was not really what the woman had had in mind. Maura realized, too late, that Jane had expected her friend to join her, to talk with her as she tried to make sense of all she'd learned. It was too late, however, to take back what she'd said.

Without another word, Jane turned and drove her fists into the pockets of her jacket, walking away briskly. Maura watched her leave and let out the breath she didn't even know she'd been holding. Looking back towards her home, she felt guilty; she did not feel like talking with Angela now, with listening to Angela's side of the story, although she knew she ought to. Dejectedly, Maura approached her home, relieved to find that Angela had retreated to the privacy of the guest house.

Lifting the tumbler from where she'd left it on the counter, she sipped the red wine, pulling a face as the liquid left a bitter taste her mouth. It was only after she'd retreated to the bedroom, curling up upon the sofa mattress that she realized it was actually the taste of disappointment and sadness.

* * *

><p>Jane Rizzoli strode into the squad room, earlier than usual. Having caught perhaps a few hours of sleep, she was as tired as she looked and twice as cranky. With the squad room deserted, save for herself, she sat at her desk and peered down at the picture of Carson from the file that had been made for him. The picture was from his driver's license and he smiled brightly up at her. If she peered close enough, she could see just the slightest similarity between herself and her half-brother, although it was clear he'd gotten his charming looks from his mother.<p>

The thought of Carson's mother of course turned the Detective's mind to her father. Today, they would question Carson's immediate family and she felt the slightest twinge of guilt, although at the time she had not known the connection. The uniformed officers who had informed Mrs. Anderson of her son's death had either not known Frank Rizzoli, or he had not been present. Jane thought that couldn't be true, otherwise her father would have contacted her. Then she thought that no, perhaps he wouldn't have, he would be waiting for her to contact him. Either way, the thoughts depressed her.

Furthermore, she worried over how she'd left things with Maura the night before. Even as she'd walked away, she had wanted to turn back and apologize again until Maura gave her one of those dazzling smiles the M.E saved for close friends. Glancing at the clock, Jane wondered if the woman would have arrived yet and she pushed herself from her desk, making a dash for the elevator.

Maura was indeed in the crime lab, pouring over the last of the evidence. Having arrived in the early hours of the morning, she had labored endlessly over the various items, setting aside one or two things of interest; in particular, a picture of Carson, Giannis and a brunette woman whose smile was quite similar to Carson's. Maura did not wish to contemplate what that might mean; she'd already uncovered one hurtful truth, she did not wish to uncover another.

Glancing up, she offered a hesitant smile as Jane Rizzoli approached. Knowing the Detective would try to talk about the night before, she lifted her hand preemptively, dismissing any words of apology Jane was about to offer, her smile increasing.

"You look tired."

"Didn't get much sleep. You?"

Maura dismissed the question as she gestured over the conglomerate of evidence spaced out across stainless steel counter tops.

"I wanted to start on all this."

"Find anything?"

"Actually, yes." Maura turned and scooped up the picture frame, still encased in the plastic evidence bag, and handed it to Jane. The Detective glanced down at the picture, then looked to Maura and shrugged.

"Close friend?"

"Has Giannis been released yet?"

"I should think not!" Jane exclaimed.

"Frost didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Jane's eyes bugged as she glared at Maura. It wasn't too much of a surprise, Maura supposed, given Jane had been AWOL over the last short while. Still, she wondered why Barry had not told Jane about the ballistics report, even via a text.

"The ballistics we ran on the Glock? It showed the weapon hasn't been fired in quite some time."

"So it's not the murder weapon?"

"No."

"But the bullet that killed the vic... Carson, came from a Glock?"

"Yes." Maura answered positively; the ballistics team had tested the bullet fragment she'd retrieved from Carson's chest, matching it to a 9mm that came from the same type of Glock 17 that had been in Carson's safe.

"So... it wasn't the one that we found, but it was one exactly like it." Jane mused as she push her hair back from her face. "I think it's time we asked Giannis a few more questions."

"We?"

"Of course. You're riding shot-gun, aren't you?" Jane asked with a crooked grin that caused Maura's heart to soar. It was Jane's unspoken way of offering one last apology for the way she'd treated Maura the night before, but also her way of saying that she wanted the M.E beside her, offering her unique insight to any answers Giannis may provide them with.

Suffice to say, however, Giannis was not entirely thrilled to see the Detective, or her 'side-kick' as he referred to her in Greek, on his doorstep once more. Irate, Jane glowered at him. Granted, it was understandable that he was not in the mood to co-operate, given they'd kept him in holding for over 24 hours, but that wasn't exactly Jane's fault, and she was certainly not in the habit of apologizing when at the time, he'd been her number one suspect.

"Mr. Hart," That was another thing, he had been forced to disclose a great deal more personal information than he'd felt comfortable with and seemed to hold this against Jane personally. "I understand your frustration. We were just doing our jobs."

"That's what you always say when you know you've persecuted an innocent man!"

"You were hardly 'persecuted', Mr. Hart." Jane resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

For a moment, the man looked as if he were simply going to close the door in their faces. Then, his expression softened and he sighed. Giannis knew the dark-haired woman was right and he stepped back, allowing the women entrance into his home.

Maura's heels clipped over the marble flooring as she followed behind Jane, appreciating the swagger in her step as they once again entered the formal sitting room. She could not help but notice the black shawl draped over the mirror that rest above the mantlepiece; an old wives tale whereby it was commonly believed the Devil created mirrors to entrap a person's soul and by covering the mirror, it removed the chance of the soul becoming trapped. Such idioms fascinated Maura and she glanced once more at the covered mirror before turning her attention to Giannis.

"Mr. Hart, do you recognize this woman?" Jane asked, withdrawing the bagged picture from her coat pocket and holding it towards the olive-skinned man. He took it and looked lovingly at Carson first, then glanced to the woman, his lips snarling as he snorted.

"That's Katrina. The _fag hag_." Giannis tossed the image back towards Jane and huffed as he spun on his heel. "_Skila_ befriended Carson at one of those strange food conventions he's... he was," The man corrected himself, softening for just a moment, "So fond of."

"Food conventions?" Jane flipped a glance in Maura's direction, lowering her voice, "Doesn't sound so bad."

Maura permitted a knowing smile, shaking her head. She could only imagine Jane's reaction when the Detective heard of exactly what type of foods were served at the conventions, commonly known as 'Bizarre Food Expos' Having attended two herself, she could quite honestly say she knew Jane would turn green when she heard about the menu.

"Katrina and Carson were friends, but you weren't fond of her?"

"Always sniffing around Carson, so interested in him, but not." Giannis explained, pacing about the room before the two women. "So false, but Carson couldn't see it. Always saw the good in people, always saw their potential, not their downfalls." Giannis' voice thickened with emotion as tears filled his eyes.

"Do you know where we could find Katrina?" Jane asked then.

"There's a convention being held Saturday night at the Boston Hilton. Carson was so excited. I'm sure Katrina will be there." Giannis sighed, deflated. "If that will be all?"

"Thank you for your time." Jane offered. "I..." She glanced to Maura, asking silently if she should say anything more and Maura shook her head quickly; now was not the time. "I'm sorry for you loss, truly I am."

The two women left the elaborate home and, the moment they were in Maura's Prius, Jane exhaled loudly.

"I can't make heads or tails of this." Jane allowed.

"I do understand, Jane."

"I know you do, Mar." Jane offered a half-smile as she glanced over at her friend, reaching out to place her hand upon Maura's knee. "When you found out about Colin..."

"Nothing much changed for me, Jane. I didn't know about him, or my father. It's different for you."

"I guess."

"The image you have of your father changed the minute you found out about Carson, the minute Angela told you about this second family. I can't begin to imagine how to reconcile new knowledge with old." Maura offered kindly, well aware of Jane's hand still resting lightly upon her knee.

"I know, I know. I just... God I don't_ know_!" Jane exclaimed.

"Are you going to talk to your father?"

"Frost and I are going to question Carson's mother in the afternoon. I'm thinking he'll be there, in the background."

"You mean he hasn't contacted you?"

"No. I've hardly spoken to him since the divorce. Doesn't matter that us kids are all grown now, it still feels like he walked out on us." Jane explained and Maura softened her gaze as she peered at the troubled woman beside her.

"He's still your father, Jane. He's still the man who taught you how to ride a bike, how to," Maura hesitated, trying to recall the things Jane had mentioned about her childhood.

"Change a washer." Jane laughed gently, the lines on her face finally smoothing. "Shoot a gun. Sneak cookies when Ma wasn't looking."

"Exactly. I know it's difficult, but he is still the father to you that he was two days ago."

"I just don't think," Jane hesitated as she looked to Maura, her smile receding. "I just don't think I can forgive him for this, or even understand it. Wasn't Ma enough? Wasn't one family enough?"

Maura did not reply. Polyamory was such a complex subject, her mind swam with various facts on the subject, although she bit them all back. Now was not the time to inform Jane that it was quite accepted in many ancient cultures and had only been cast out as an unacceptable practice as Christianity grew in popularity.

Jane drew in a shaky breath as she withdrew her hand from Maura's knee, pushing both hands through her tumbling locks, glancing to the woman beside her for guidance. Maura lowered her gaze as she twisted in her seat.

"For some people," She began slowly, "They have the ability to love more than one person at a time."

"It's wrong." Jane scoffed.

"It's not." Maura's answer caught the Detective off-guard and she glared at Maura, shocked.

"You're not serious, are you?"

"True polyamory is just love, Jane. It isn't wrong, it's just another facet of human emotion. And love," Maura's tone softened as she averted her gaze, "Is never wrong."

"We're going to have to agree to disagree. I can't get my head around it." Jane declared stubbornly. "Let's go. I should catch up with Frost." Jane's sudden change in subject signaled to Maura that the topic of her father and his 'love' was no longer up for discussion.

* * *

><p>Barry Frost looked up as the two women entered the media lab where he'd been glaring at the wide screen of the computer before him for the last half hour. Having received the reports from the crime lab, he had been studiously pouring over them, looking for anything that might help solve their case. The one thing he had not seen however, was the DNA profile from the victim's autopsy and he was thankful to see Maura Isles, taking the opportunity to ask.<p>

Yet when he did, Maura froze, looking to Jane. Swallowing thickly, she instantly felt nervous; she couldn't lie to Barry that the standard issue scan was not yet complete. For one thing, he would know better and for another, it would mean _lying_. Again she flicked her glance to Jane.

"Might as well tell him." Jane reasoned. "Korsak too." She stepped out of the media center to retrieve Vince and waited until he joined the trio, sipping coffee he'd gotten from the Division One Cafe. The logo served as a reminder than Jane had not spoken to her mother since the previous evening and was just another thing in a long list of things she did not want to have to face. Clearing her throat, she looked about the room, to the inquisitive faces of her partners, both former and present.

"Carson Anderson was my half-brother." Jane declared, ignoring the shocked look on both men's faces. "It seems my father had a second family that I only just found out about. That's why," She shifted her gaze to Frost, "The DNA report isn't included. Maura wanted to let me tell people in my own time." Jane announced, although technically, Maura had said no such thing to her. A white lie was fine with the M.E, especially since it was not her giving it.

"Janie..." Korsak trailed off, stepping closer to the slender woman. "I don't know what to say. Your Pop, I didn't think he was that type of man."

"Me either. Anything we can do, Jane?" Frost asked. Jane smiled thankfully at her friends and shook her head.

"I'm still processing."

"I guess it takes all types." Korsak shook his head. "Angela's a great woman, I can't imagine stepping out on someone like her."

Although Maura knew Korsak, like so many others, was simply making false assumptions, she felt ire rise within her and she glowered at the older Detective. It took all her will-power to stop herself from snapping at the ignorant man and then she scolded herself for being so unkind. Korsak wasn't the typical bigot she knew some people to be, he was simply uneducated. Now, however, was not the time to educate him.

"You still want to go see Carson's mother?" Frost asked then, looking hesitantly at his partner. Jane steeled her gaze as she addressed him.

"We still have a homicide to investigate." Ever the professional, Jane squared her jaw as Frost gave a nod. Of course, Jane knew, Cavanaugh could pull her from the case once he found out and his office was her next stop. Surprisingly, the Lieutenant gave her his support, leaving the decision to either continue or step down, in her hands.

With Cavanaugh's blessing and both Frost and Korsak's support, Jane felt remarkably better as they left the precinct, promising Maura they'd tell her how it went as the M.E returned to her domain. Truthfully, Maura wished she could go with them, be there even if she was nothing more than just one extra silent supporter for her friend and not for the first time was she envious of the badges Frost and Korsak wore.

Fretfully, she tried to busy herself in the crime lab, but after miss-labeling a test tube and being embarrassed by one her of staff who picked up on the error, Maura fled to the privacy of her office, closing the door behind her. It had been several days since she had been in the space and it was clearly in need of her attention. Forcing herself to focus, she managed to keep Jane near the back of her mind for most of the afternoon.

Across town, Jane wished Maura was with her. Although it was one thing to have her partner on one side and Korsak on the other, she wished it had been Maura who'd joined her. This was not going to be an easy discussion, it never was when speaking with the parent of a deceased. Especially when one of those parents was also hers. Feeling a building sense of trepidation, Jane looked to Frost, who drove the precinct vehicle towards the home of Stella Anderson... and Frank Rizzoli.

Forcing herself to take that first step, she mounted the short flight of stairs that led them to the front door of the modest looking home and pressed the bell, stepping back. Jane tried to brace herself for seeing her mother's replacement for the first time, but could not stop her eyes bulging as Mrs. Anderson opened the door.

With salt-and-pepper hair, kind eyes and strong cheekbones, Jane could immediately see that Carson had taken more after his mother than their father. She could also see, judging by the woman's neat attire that she seemed, at least outwardly, the complete opposite to Angela Rizzoli. Slender and quite petite, Stella held her hands clasped together before her.

"Mrs. Anderson? I'm Jane. Rizzoli."

"Of course. Won't you come in." Stella's accent was strange to Jane, thickly British and not at all what she had imagined. This woman seemed so... out of her father's league, she could not imagine them sharing any kind of life together. Yet as she stepped into the household, her eyes were instantly drawn to the portrait of Frank and Stella, clearly quite recent, contrasting a portrait taken many years earlier. How, Jane asked herself, how had her father kept this family from her?

"You've come to ask me some questions?" Stella prompted as she led them to the living room. Jane could not help but soak up the household in which Carson had grown up in, so different to her own somewhat run-down home. One thing was for certain, it explained why Frank had never had time to repair the various things that needed his attention in the Rizzoli household; he'd been too busy in this one.

"Yes," It was Frost who spoke, seeing Jane was somewhat distracted, "We're sorry for your loss, ma'am."

"Call me Stella, please." Stella spoke, still looking to Jane.

"Is my father here?" The question slipped from her lips quite without her realizing until it was too late and Stella blinked, somewhat taken aback by the question. The moment passed and she offered a sweet smile.

"He knew you were coming."

"I take it that means no." Jane snorted.

"Frank said to me that you and he needed to sit down and talk, with Frank Jr and Tommy."

"That's not going to happen any time soon." Jane remarked through gritted teeth. Tommy Rizzoli, as much as she loved him, was the screw-ball of the family, although she was beginning to see her father filling that role more than her brother who was a victim of bad choices and unfortunate circumstances. Most of the time.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Your father loves you, Jane."

"We're not here to talk about that. Can you think of anyone who'd want to hurt your son?"

"No. Carson was a sweet boy, never any trouble." Unlike Jane and her brothers who had caused nothing but strife throughout their high school years. Angela had always said she was still surprised at how well they'd all turned out, ever the optimist that one day Tommy would settle down and change his ways. "I can't believe someone would do such a horrible thing to him." Stella said, showing just a hint of emotion as she spoke of her child. Jane resisted the urge to snort, forcing herself to remember that people responded in all kinds of ways to loss.

"Did he tell you of any problems he was having? At work, at home?"

"No, nothing. Carson and Giannis were a wonderful, devoted couple." Stella moved away from the trio for a moment, over to the display cabinet. Retrieving a picture frame, she carried it over to Jane and handed it to her. Glancing at Frost, Jane then looked to the cabinet and the African American man gave only the slightest of nods. With Stella's attention on Jane, he began moving about the room, outwardly appearing as if he was just showing a casual interest in the various knick-knacks on display.

"They were planning a move to Greece. It broke my heart when they told me, but it was only going to be for a few years, for Giannis' business." Jane nodded; this was nothing she did not already know, Giannis had mentioned it earlier. Frost threw a look in Jane's direction and she nodded.

"If you think of anything else, you'll call?" Jane asked, handing her a business card, although she felt it redundant since they both knew if Stella thought of anything, she could simply talk to Frank. There again, it seemed Frank was not going to make the first move in contacting his daughter and Jane hesitated before moving to the front door.

"He wishes you hadn't found out like this, Jane."

"It's Detective Rizzoli."

"Of course. Your father told me he never wanted you to know this way." Stella said again as Jane continued for the door, shaking her head.

"Tell him I said..." Jane trailed off, unable to think of a single thing she wanted to say to her father. "Tell him I said he should have told me. And I don't forgive him." With anger in her tone, she left the household, expecting Frost and Korsak to be behind her. When she reached the car, she grabbed the handle, frustrated to find the door locked.

"You alright, Janie?" Korsak appeared beside her and she glowered at him, trying to fight back the tears.

"I'm fine. Frost! Unlock the damn door already." Barry jogged down the front path and Jane looked beyond him, catching a glimpse of Frank Rizzoli standing behind Stella, his arms about her waist, a forlorn look on his face. Anger surged within her again and she spun on one heel, racing towards the house.

"You bastard!" Jane screeched, pointing. Frost immediately grabbed her by the waist, holding her back as Korsak shuffled across the street, taking Jane's shoulders, both men trying to pull back a woman fueled by anger. Frank did not move to step towards his daughter, instead he allowed Stella to push him back into the house and close the door.

"Get off!" Jane hollered, shrugging herself free of the grip the two men had on her and then she dashed forward. Frost anticipated her move and lunged, yanking her back once again.

"You do this thing and Cavanaugh will pull you from the case and cuff you to a desk." Korsak was in her face suddenly and she glared at him, full of rage and resentment. "Don't make me call Dr. Isles." Korsak warned and that was what deflated Jane, her shoulders sagging as she allowed her friends to spin her on her heels and push her towards the car once again. Maura would be so disappointed with her if she knew of the way Jane had acted.

Returning to the PD, Frost cleared his throat as he perched himself on the edge of his desk. Jane glanced up from the spot she'd been staring at, not really seeing, merely staring. It seemed she had forgotten that Frost had noticed something in the Anderson household and Frost glanced to Korsak.

"That display case? A couple of frames were missing."

"How'd you tell?"

"Dust marks around where they should have been. Looks like Stella Anderson has something to hide." At that, Jane's head snapped up, eyes filled with expectation but then, realization.

"We don't have a reason to issue a search warrant." Jane sighed, her voice hoarse as she felt tiredness creeping over her, the adrenaline that she'd ridden most of the day finally beginning to wear off. It was mid-afternoon, there were plans to be made and decisions to be discussed yet she could not find it in herself to push herself through how utterly defeated she felt.

"Why don't you go grab a break, Jane?" Korsak suggested. Bleary eyed, she turned her head in his direction as it took a moment for his words to register. When they did, she almost protested, but stopped herself. Nodding, Jane rose to her feet and shuffled out of the squad room, unaware of the looks of concern her friends shared once she'd left.

In the days before she'd known Maura Isles, Jane would have gone home, passed out in her clothes on the bed, woken sometime late at night and had a few beers until she fell asleep again. Now, she detoured from leaving the precinct and rode the elevator down to the morgue. It took every ounce of strength left, but she made it to Maura's office. Maura glanced up as Jane appeared, shocked to see just how exhausted her friend was.

"Something," Maura said as she stood and helped Jane to the sofa, "Tells me you didn't sleep at all, after all."

"I did." Jane protested, stifling a yawn. "I grabbed an hour or two."

"More like minus an hour or two." Maura said softly as Jane curled her long form into a tight ball upon the lounge suite, tucking her hands under her cheek as she closed her eyes.

"I just need a nap." Jane said. "Wake me soon, OK?"

"Yes, Jane." Maura remarked, although she had no intention of waking Jane any time soon. Kneeling beside the figure, she watched as the furrows in Jane's brow smoothed as sleep claimed the slightly younger woman.

Reaching out tentatively, Maura brushed a lock of hair from Jane's face and lent forward, pressing her lips to the woman's forehead without thinking. Pulling back, afraid the gesture would rouse her friend, she felt a flood of relief as Jane did not stir. Rising, she moved back to her desk and sank back into the high-backed office chair, still watching Jane from afar.

After several minutes of gazing unashamedly at Jane's form, Maura allowed a smile to play over her lips as she returned her attention to the reports she had been steadily working through that afternoon. When Jane woke, they would go for a late lunch, or perhaps leave for the day and grab an early meal at the Dirty Robber. Maura had every intention of inviting Jane to her apartment for the evening, partly in hopes of helping aid reconciliation between Angela and her daughter, yet mostly because she simply enjoyed the woman's company.

Maura Isles had made her peace with the fact that she was bisexual; something she had not revealed to anyone, not even Jane. It was not something she felt most would understand, having heard both sides to people's common misconceptions about bisexuality. One extreme was that a bisexual was simply greedy, wanting to have their cake and eat it to. The other was that someone who loved both genders was deeply unhappy within themselves.

Maura knew she was neither of those misconceptions, she was actually extremely well adjusted, well educated and well aware of herself. The greatest loves of her lives were split evenly between the genders; Ian, Pierre, Valerie and Kate. Four people had touched her, loved her, cared for her, just as she had for them. And yet none of them had ever made her feel the way Jane Rizzoli did. When the husky voiced woman spoke to her, she felt every pulse point on her body tremble. When those dark eyes glanced at her, in any way, she felt a thrill go through her. And when Jane touched her, even the most platonic of touches made Maura weak at the knees.

The happy thoughts circulating through her mind, combined with the knowledge that Jane was barely five feet from her, trusting that Maura would watch over her as she slept, made the time pass quickly and before she knew it, late afternoon arrived.

"Jane?"

"Hmph."

"Jane, wake up."

"Ugh. Blah." Jane's voice was thick as she sleepily opened one eye, peering up at Maura. It was utterly adorable and Maura did not reel in the generous smile she allowed her friend.

"You've slept long enough." Maura insisted, although she would have loved to allow Jane to continue sleeping, she knew curling up on such a confined space could cause long-term harm to her friend's spine. "I think you should stay at my place tonight."

That woke Jane and she opened both eyes, slowly pushing herself upright.

"No, thanks."

"You can't avoid your mother forever."

"I can try."

"Jane, she's hurting too. It must have broken her heart to find out about your father and then, to keep it from you. Jane, you know she wouldn't have done it if she didn't think it was in your best interest." Jane did not want to admit that Maura was right and as such, she jutted out her chin stubbornly. Letting her feet fall to the ground, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes before blinking up at Maura.

"I guess so." Jane allowed, gritting her teeth as she stood, arching her back.

"How's your lumbar?" Maura asked, instantly concerned as Jane's hand went to the offending area. Jane looked up, blinking.

"Uh..."

"Lower spine," Maura stepped forward and placed her hand over Jane's. "Here and," She lowered her hand ever so slightly. "Here." Glancing up, she captured Jane's gaze. Their faces were mere inches apart and she inhaled softly, the scent jasmine faint, but ever present. How easy, she thought to herself, would it have been to close the distance between them, to press her lips to Jane's...

"I guess... I guess I shouldn't have slept so long." Jane mused, dropping her voice an octave or two as she peered into Maura's amber-flecked eyes. The inquisitive look in Maura's gaze, the longing lingering behind that inquisitiveness, Jane wondered as she inched a tiny bit closer; what would Maura do if they kissed? The idea was not a new one, it had come to her many times over the course of the friendship and each time she had dismissed it. Only recently did it seem harder to push the thought from her mind.

"Wait," Maura said suddenly, breaking the moment although it behooved her to do so. "This isn't... Not here." Maura said, taking a step away from Jane. The moment was suddenly dispelled as distance came unexpectedly between them and Jane, although she had wanted it as much as Maura, was surprised by just how disappointed she truly was that their lips had not met. Of course, she could understand why Maura had pulled back. They were, after all, in her office. Maura's open-door policy meant that any one of her staff could walk in at any minute. The idea of having either of them associated with what would certainly be a scandal throughout the precinct did not appeal to Maura, nor to Jane.

"You'll stay the night at my place?" Maura asked, her voice husky as she glanced to Jane. Jane wanted to say of course she would, she would stay as often and as long as Maura wished her to. But, being in Maura's home meant seeing her mother and she still was not entirely sure she was ready for that. Maura sensed Jane's hesitation and sighed, misreading the Detective. "Never mind." Shaking her head, Maura turned and moved back over to her desk.

Jane frowned, realizing something had just shifted in her friend. Frowning slightly, she stepped forward, her lumbar indeed aching more than she thought it would, and cleared her throat.

"Did I do something wrong?" Jane asked, fearful. Maura had wanted her, had she not? Maura had wished to have Jane kiss her, right? Jane was not the type to misread body language, but now she couldn't be so sure. "Mar?"

"No, you didn't, Jane." Maura answered. "I'm sorry. You're right, perhaps not

tonight."

"Maybe in a couple of days?" Jane suggested and Maura frowned slightly, although she did not turn to face her friend. If Jane needed a few days to think things through, Maura supposed she could understand that, even if it only served to confused the M.E who was often the type to simply do something if the idea came to her, such as the time she'd climbed the tree to retrieve evidence, surprising those around her. At the time, it had made perfect sense to Maura. There was potential evidence in the tree, she could climb. Just as now, there was something between the two women, they should embrace it. Clearly, Jane did not think the same way Maura did.

"I should go." Jane's comment brought a sad smile to Maura's lips and she nodded, finally glancing over her shoulder. Feeling her puncta lacrimalia filling with tears, she turned her head again as Jane slowly left her office. Stamping her foot, Maura cursed softly, brushing away the lone tear that trickled down her cheek.

Angela Rizzoli knew in an instant that Maura was upset. From the front window of the guest house, she watched as the Medical Examiner arrived in her environmentally friendly vehicle and sat behind the wheel for a long minute after she'd shut off the ignition. Finally, Angela stepped out of the small unit and hesitantly approached.

"Dr. Isles?"

"Angela." Maura glanced up through the open window, offering a forced smile.

"Is everything alright?" Maura wanted to say no, everything was most certainly not alright. Instead, she gave a smile.

"Fine."

"Where's Janie?"

Maura knew that Jane had gone to Steve the technician's home to retrieve Jo, who had given them what they'd wanted quite some time ago, she just simply hadn't been picked up by her 'mother' in the mix of everything else that had occurred. Inhaling deeply, she shrugged up at Angela as she raised the window of the Prius before climbing out.

"Feel like keeping me company?" Maura asked before the older Rizzoli woman could turn to leave. Angela offered a bright smile as she followed Maura into the main house, moving over to the counter. Maura's cleaner had done a fine job of tidying the mess Angela had made the night before, leaving the counter-top free to be dirtied once again.

"I could make us fresh pasta." Angela offered.

"That sounds wonderful." Maura smiled. "I'm just going to take a shower."

"You go ahead, I'll get started."

It was clear that Angela did not just need company, but something to keep herself occupied beyond a casual conversation with Maura. Never before had Jane gone so long without speaking to her mother and Maura was beginning to question her interfering when Jane had gone to the cafe, even in her distraught state. Perhaps if Maura had not intervened, they would be talking now.

Standing beneath the spray, hot enough to tint her skin with flecks of pink, Maura allowed her tears to fall, staying in the shower longer than ordinary until she was sure she'd washed away all traces of her crying spree. Dressing in a pair of loose fitting cotton track pants and a Boston PD t-shirt, Maura emerged from the bedroom, apologizing to Angela for being gone so long.

The two women spoke of their day whilst Angela kneaded the pasta dough, encouraging Maura to join her. The M.E declined, not because it wasn't an appealing offer, but because this was the kind of task Jane should be doing, not her. At that moment, the doorbell chimed. Setting aside the tumbler of wine, she moved to the door and peered through the glass panel, a smile breaking out across her lips.

"Jane."

"Hi." Awkwardly, Jane stood on Maura's front door step, glancing past the woman to see her mother in the kitchen. "I thought I'd swing past." At her feet, Jo Friday barked and Maura offered the pet a smile before glancing up at Jane once again.

"I'm glad you came." Maura reached out, taking Jane's hand as she pulled her into the house, noticing the wince Jane gave. Making a mental note to ask about it later, she presented Jane to Angela and promptly placed Jane's hand into the pile of pasta dough.

"Bass' enclosure needs a good cleaning. I'll be outside if anyone needs me. No, I won't be!" Maura added quickly, snatching up her glass and hurrying away, excited and giddy and relieved. Given that Jane had taken the first step, Maura did not think she was needed to help guide a conversation that would be the first in many towards repairing the relationship between mother and daughter. Calling Jo to her side, Maura led the pooch out into the yard with a grin etched across her face.

"I'm sorry, Ma." Jane said as she pried her fingers from the sticky dough, then thought better of it and began to knead, pouring her frustrating into the mixture. "I shouldn't have gone off like that."

"I understand, Janie. I did the same. I screamed and yelled and cried and then did it all again the next day." Angela said reasonably.

"But... why didn't you tell me?" Jane asked, exasperated. Certainly Maura's suggestion that it was Angela's protectiveness that had prevented her from speaking up made sense, but Jane needed to hear it for herself.

"The reason I didn't tell you," Angela began as she sniffed back tears, "Wasn't because I didn't want you to know. It was because..." Unable to continue, she swiped at her face, leaving a streak of flour across her cheek in the process and Jane gave a warm smile as she grabbed a dish towel and brushed the granules away. "I felt like I was a failure." Angela finally confessed, the words tumbling from her mouth in quick succession.

"What? Ma, no!" Jane scoffed, frowning deeply. "I can't believe he made you feel that way!" Jane shook off the goop from her hands and rushed to embrace her mother, wrapping her arms about the older Rizzoli's neck tightly. Angela clung to her daughter as tears fell freely down her cheeks, soaking into Jane's hair. Finally, she pulled away and could not help but laugh. "What?" Jane asked, quirking an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

"Turn around." Angela asked and Jane did, craning her neck to see. Two hand prints of dough met her glance and she groaned.

"Ma!" Jane declared with a playful laugh. "Maura!" Jane then turned, calling to her friend, expecting that Maura would only be a few feet away. When Maura did not appear, she went off in search, leaving Angela to finish the pasta.

Outside, in Maura's surprisingly spacious yard, Jane spied the Medical Examiner inside of Bass' enclosure. Having spent quite a handsome sum on the near ideal natural setting for Bass, Maura monitored the temperature levels closely and Jane knew her housekeeper text her the temperature readings several times a day. Stopping to ruffle the fur behind Jo's ears, Jane kissed the top of her pet's head before continuing on.

"Mar?" Jane called, alerting Maura to her presence. Glancing over her shoulder, Maura smiled and gestured for Jane to join her. Swinging open the enclosure door open, Jane breathed in air that was dry; Bass' natural home setting a semi-arid environment that Maura had strove to replicate for his comfort. Of course, given he was in his mid-30s, and had lived with Maura for ten of those thirty years, he had adapted to being in different environments. After all, Bass had run of Maura's home as well as her yard.

"How are you?" Maura asked only with slight apprehension. She could easily see the tension had lifted from Jane's shoulders, her chocolate eyes were lighter from lack of worry marring them.

"Better. We talked, or at least, we paved the way to more talks."

"I'm so pleased." Maura allowed, smiling up at her friend. On her knees, she'd been feeding Bass chunks of mulberry leaves. Rising, she brushed the dirt from her pants and faced Jane, surprised when a moment later, the Detective threw her arms about Maura and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you." Jane whispered in Maura's ear as she pulled back and Maura smiled, although it quickly faded.

"Jane?"

"Yes?"

"Why is there," Maura rubbed her fingers together, "Dough on your back?"

* * *

><p>"It's getting late, I should get to bed." Angela ran her hands over her thighs before she stood from the table, offering a smile to her daughter, then to Maura. If she was not mistaken, the two women wanted to be alone and she bid them farewell, grinning as she retreated back to her own space. Neither woman noticed that Jo Friday had followed Mama Rizzoli.<p>

"I should probably call it a night, too." Jane said hesitantly. Maura's smile faded as she recalled their earlier encounter and how Jane had suggested she needed time. "Hey, what is it?" Jane asked, seeing a glimmer of disappointment in Maura's eyes.

"Nothing, honest."

"Mar, c'mon. Tell me."

"I just... it's nothing, I'm tired."

"Then I should go?" Jane said, wanting Maura to say no, stay. But the M.E never had been good at reading social cues and dejectedly nodded. Jane frowned as she stood, biting back a curse as she twisted the wrong way, her lower back telling her about it.

"Jane, wait." Maura called and the woman stopped, turning around slowly. "Let me rub ointment into your lumbar region, I can see it's causing you discomfort."

"You don't have to."

"Please, just let me." Maura sighed, not feeling up to arguing with Jane over medical treatment as she often had to. Jane surrendered, following Maura, surprised when the M.E led her to the bedroom.

Yet as the pair entered the room, Maura spied the jacket on the bed and made a mad dash to leap across the bed, shoving the garment off and onto the floor. In a flurry of activity, she rolled onto her back, off the bed and landing on her feet before kicking the jacket beneath the bed, looking up at Jane.

"Uh... right... Mar, I've seen your dirty laundry before."

"Oh, that was nothing." Maura said, which only caused Jane to look at her doubtfully. Saying nothing more, she stood just beyond the door, uncertainly. Maura knelt and pried open the bottom drawer on the side table she rarely used, retrieving the ointment she knew would really help loosen the muscles in Jane's lower spine. "Strip." Maura said as she glanced at Jane and the Detective's mouth fell open slightly. Maura permitted a short, condoning smile. "Just your shirt, Jane." She scoffed.

"Oh, right." Jane said, somewhat embarrassed. "Uh... you want me?"

"On the bed." Maura stated, as if it was obvious. Jane's cheeks warmed with blush as she shyly looked about. Maura pitched a impatient sigh as she turned around, waiting. Quickly, Jane stripped out of the royal blue business shirt she'd pulled on that morning, grinning at the dried dough stains before covering herself with her hands, despite the sports bra she wore, and easing onto Maura's bed.

Maura heard the woman ease onto the sheets of the bed and held her breath for a moment, bracing herself. As she turned, she could not help but stare. Jane's sinewy back was perfectly tan, perfectly muscled and Maura knelt upon the bed, still gazing. Allowing her eyes to travel across the form before her, she hesitated for only a moment before letting her gaze move across the _entire _length of Jane's body. Clearing her throat, Maura unscrewed the lid of the jar of ointment and scooped out a generous amount.

"It will burn, but it will help." Maura warned as she rubbed her hands together, spreading the liniment before beginning to massage it over Jane's lower back. The moans of delight that rose from the hoarse-voiced woman sent thrills down Maura's own spine and she increased the pressure just a notch.

Minutes passed as Maura continued to massage her friend, wanting nothing more than to straddle Jane's behind and place delicate kisses along the line of her shoulder blades. Unsure as to how Jane would react to such a gesture, she resisted and concentrated on easing the ache in her friend's spine instead.

"Oh, Mar, that feels fantastic." Jane finally spoke as Maura pulled back, easing off the bed and smiling at Jane, who turned her head to face the M.E. Excusing herself, Maura moved into the ensuite and washed her hands before re-entering the bedroom and retrieving a t-shirt which she then handed to Jane and turned away as to allow Jane a moment's privacy. When she'd counted to fifteen, she glanced over her shoulder briefly then turned as she found Jane had dressed and positioned herself upon Maura's bed, hands tucked under her head.

Suddenly, the Medical Examiner felt quite uncertain and shy, diverting her gaze from Jane. Noticing this, Jane gave a soft smile.

"Maura?"

"Yes Jane?"

"C'mere."

"Yes, Jane." Maura stepped towards the bed, then eased onto it, surprised when Jane reached for her wrist, pulling her closer. "Wait, I thought..."

"What?" Jane gave a concerned frown.

"I thought you wanted time to think."

"What? No. Oh, Maura! Is that what happened earlier?"

"You hesitated. I thought you meant you weren't sure."

"Mar, I hesitated because I didn't think I wanted to see my Ma. Then I went and got Jo, and took her home and realized I was being an idiot. On both accounts." Jane said pointedly.

"I'm glad you did." Maura said and Jane laughed, a tear sliding down her cheek that she swiped at as she sat up on Maura's bed. "Don't cry, Jane." Maura said then, scooting across the duvet on her knees, placing a hand on Jane's thigh. "You're here now, you talked with your mother and everything is better, right?"

"I don't mean to." Jane said, voice thick with emotion as she looked away, embarrassed. "Just, when I think about how much my Pop hurt Ma, I can't imagine why he would do that." Maura pursed her lips together. Neither Jane nor Angela, it seemed, would understand no matter how much she explained it that Frank Rizzoli, although his method had been quite unkind, did not set out to harm his family. Instead, Maura offered a knowing smile and put one arm around Jane's shoulders.

"You can cry, if you want to."

"I don't want to!" Jane said, half laughing, half sobbing as she fell into Maura's embrace, locking her arms around the shorter woman's shoulders and letting the tears fall. Detective Jane Rizzoli did _not_ cry, although it did not pain her to do so when she did. If anything, she was simply embarrassed at such a physical reaction to emotion. Gradually, she brought herself under control and pulled away from Maura, tear-stained cheeks flushed.

"Stay here." Maura said softly, pressing her lips to Jane's temple briefly before sliding off the bed and back into the ensuite. Retrieving a hand towel, she ran it under the cold faucet and brought it to Jane, who took it thankfully and ran it across her face. Dabbing at her eyes, she looked to Maura, who nodded her approval; Jane Rizzoli looked like her usual self once again.

Jane hoisted herself to the edge of the bed, swinging her feet to the ground as Maura watched. Reaching out, the Detective latched a single finger under the hem of the grey t-shirt Maura wore, tugging her closer. Feeling a rush of arousal flood through her, Maura allowed herself to be pulled into Jane's embrace, relishing the feel of Jane's hands on her lower back, aware of the intense gaze in Jane's brown eyes peering up at her.

Cupping Jane's face, Maura dipped her head, pressing her lips ever so gently against Jane's, the kiss deepening as Jane's lips parted, allowing Maura entrance. Their tongues slid softly against one another, sending a tickle all the way through Maura, down to her toes and back again. Inching back on the bed, not breaking contact, Jane drew Maura onto her lap, the treacle-haired woman straddling Jane's lap as the kiss grew in intensity. Only for a need of oxygen did Maura finally pull away, panting deeply, chest heaving.

Lashes lowered, she strung her arms about Jane's neck, crossing her arms at the wrist as she peering into Jane's gaze, the Detective's expression warm and caring.

"_Sous le d__ô__me __é__pais, o__ù__ le blanc jasmin, ah! Descendons ensemble!" _Maura whispered as she held Jane's gaze and the Detective gave a wide smile, tilting her head to one side.

"Care to translate?"

"Under a dome of white jasmine," Maura began, placing a kiss upon Jane's cheek, trailing down to her jawline as she brought her hands to the back of Jane's neck, lightly tracing the bare flesh, "Ah! Calling us together!" Maura finished with a kiss to Jane's lips as the Detective wrapped her arms about Maura's slender waist, pulling her down atop of her onto the bed.

"I don't know what it means, but it's beautiful."

"You're beautiful." Maura replied, rising up on Jane and pulling the flimsy t-shirt over her head, tossing it aside. Jane could do nothing but look up appreciatively at the form in front of her as Maura shifted slightly, falling beside Jane on the bed, yet keeping one leg over Jane's waist, tentatively placing one hand upon Jane's abdomen, the other searching for Jane's hand. Finding it, she clung to it, feeling the raised scar and lightly grazing her fingertips over it.

Jane met Maura's gaze and let one hand move to Maura's thigh, holding her leg in place, letting Maura caress her free hand as their eyes locked. Pushing herself forward, Jane captured Maura's lips with her own, their kiss just as passionate as the one prior. A moan sounded from the shorter woman and Jane clutched Maura's thigh harder than before, pulling the woman back atop of her. Feverishly, their kisses grew, their hunger for one another reaching a boiling point as Jane sat up, still holding Maura to her body, and removed the t-shirt she'd only worn for a short while, tossing it to the carpet.

Maura clambered off Jane's lap, giving a burst of short kisses as Jane also stood, both women removing their pants; Maura, the track pants, Jane, the fitted slacks she'd worn that day. Underwear followed and they parted, standing before one another, naked, both breathing deeply. Not a word was said as they came together, flesh touching flesh and Maura gasped at the feeling of Jane's soft skin upon her own.

Jane took Maura's hands, pinning them to her side as she pulled the shorter woman towards the bed once again, turning them and nudging Maura onto the bed. Straddling Maura's thigh, Jane gasped as Maura brought her knee up to gently connect with Jane's center and looked at the woman with mock disapproval. Maura giggled and repeated the move.

With a playful growl, Jane shifted, swinging her leg over Maura's waist and pinning her down with both hands before waggling her eyebrows at the woman. Maura would not comply to Jane's clear desire to be in control and thrust her hips upwards. Thrown off-guard, Jane let out a cry of surprise as she found herself suddenly beneath Maura, the slight woman using the strength few knew she possessed to turn the tables on her lover.

"Let me, Jane." Maura whispered, curls hanging down encircling her face, "Let me make love to you." Jane could find no valid reason to deny the gentle request and relished the feel of Maura's lips on hers, the kiss tender and soft. Slowly, Maura inched down Jane's body, leaving a trail of kisses along each collarbone, making her way to Jane's small breasts, cupping them one in each hand, pinching at erect nipples. Swirling her tongue over the right, then the left, Maura nipped softly, causing Jane to cry out.

Moving further down, Maura placed gentle kisses along Jane's taut abdomen, smiling to herself as Jane gasped for breath, the pleasure she felt almost overwhelming. Taking but a moment, Maura placed her lips softly upon the somewhat angry looking scar just to the side of Jane's solar plexus, kissing it tenderly. Moving to position herself between Jane's parted thighs, Maura's eyes were heavy with desire as she glanced up and met Jane's gaze. With a reassuring nod, Jane bit down on her lower lip as Maura lowered her own gaze.

Running her tongue over her lips, Maura brought her mouth to Jane, sliding her tongue between the wet folds and over the tight bundle of nerves, causing Jane to cry out, her entire body tensing as she arched her hips, covering her face with her hands as Maura continued to slide her tongue across the sensitive flesh. For all the fine wines Maura had tasted in her life, none could compare to the taste of Jane, sweet, earthy, with just the slightest tang, Maura could not get enough as she flicked her tongue upwards over the bundle before sliding inside of Jane.

"Maura!" Jane's hoarse voice cried out, echoing through the bedroom as Maura did not relent in her idea of welcomed torment, bringing Jane closer and closer to the edge until Jane's hands flew to Maura, holding her in place, hips rising off the bed as she cried out, incomprehensible words of sweetness. Orgasm tore through Jane Rizzoli, all at the talent of Maura Isles' tongue.

"Oh. My. Gawd." Jane could barely managed to speak as Maura slowly moved back up the sinewy form, pausing along the way to place kisses along the woman's now limp body, causing her to moan softly. Pulling Maura into her arms, she held her tightly as Maura smoothed Jane's hair back from her face, their legs locking together perfectly; as if it were meant to be.

* * *

><p>The feel of a coarse tongue on her face drew Jane from her sleep and she opened her eyes, peering directly into the expectant gaze of Jo Friday. Yelping, she twisted in the bed, colliding with a still slumbering Maura who opened her eyes only briefly before snuggling up against Jane. Grunting, the Detective glowered at her pet. A moment later, she cocked her head to one side, an all too familiar sound floating into the room.<p>

"Maura!" Jane threw herself over Maura's body, promptly falling of the bed. The flurry of activity caused Jo to begin barking and between that and Jane's soft curses, Maura woke, pushing herself up on one elbow as she peered down at Jane's naked form.

"Why are you on the floor?" She asked innocently as Jane glanced about.

"Hey!" Jane cried out, reaching under the bed and yanking on something. Scrambling off the ground, she held the garment in Maura's direction. "Didn't have my jacket, huh?"

Maura blushed and buried her head in her pillow, not seeing Jane's fingers coming at her and squealing as the Detective tickled the sensitive area she'd discovered the night before.

"Uh, Dr. Isles?" Angela's inquisitive voice called and Jane's head snapped up, her expression like that of a deer caught in headlights. Leaping from the bed, she moved left, then right, then dived back onto the bed, crawling under the sheets as Maura sat up in the bed, chuckling at Jane's antics. "Everything alright in there?"

"Fine, thank-you Angela." Maura called back, pulling the duvet away from Jane and leaning down to press her lips to the woman's cheek. "Jane, your car? It's still in my driveway. Your mother knows you spent the night."

"Oh. My. _God_." Jane groaned, flushing a deep red of embarrassment. Maura merely laughed again as she kicked back the blankets, stretching her toes out as she climbed out of the bed. Retrieving the clothing she'd thrown off the night before, she pulled them on and moved to the window, cracking open the cotton venetians. A flood of sunlight erupted into the room and Jane cried out, covering her hands with her face.

Maura spun on her toes and bounced back over to the bed, jumping up and down on her knees as Jane continued to groan, burying her head in the sheets, trying to pull to duvet over herself once more. Jo barked, pouncing from side to side in excitement and Jane's hand shot out from beneath the blankets, grabbing the hound and yanking her under the bed covers with her.

Smiling to herself, Maura left the bedroom and strolled, barefoot, into the kitchen. Angela Rizzoli said nothing, but merely smiled to herself as she poured Maura a mug of freshly brewed coffee. Accepting it, Maura slid onto the low-back barstool, crossing one leg delicately over the other. Sipping the steaming beverage, she began flipping through the pages of the local paper as Angela busied herself serving breakfast.

"Janie, your eggs are getting cold!" Angela called out as both women heard a thud, followed by a yelp and a curse. Several more thumps followed and Jane finally appeared, Jo skipping alongside her, wearing the royal blue shirt, haphazardly tucked into her slacks and the jacket that Maura had 'borrowed' the week prior, which did not match her pants.

"Good morning, Jane." Ma Rizzoli smirked as she avoided making eye-contact with her daughter, afraid she would either burst out laughing at Jane's obvious attempt to look casual or burst with joy.

"Morning, Ma." Jane rasped, accepting the mug Maura offered her, taking a swig before handing it back. Angela observed the gesture and couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her, turning her face away.

"I should head home, grab a shower or something before I head to the precinct. Are you coming into the office today?"

"I wasn't planning on it. It's Saturday, Jane."

"I know." Jane replied, grinning. "The Bizarre Food Expo is tonight. I need to touch base with Korsak and Frost before we launch Operation _Skila_." Jane grinned, even as Maura gave a disapproving frown. "What? I know that face!" Jane declared.

"I don't it's appropriate to call someone a bitch based on one person's opinion."

"Whose a bitch?" Angela asked, sliding scrambled egg whites onto a plate which she then set before Maura. "Eat."

"Thank you." Maura smiled as she glanced at Jane. "You don't get anything, you're mean." She teased and Jane looked incredulously between her lover and her mother. Throwing her hands up in the air, she spun on her heel and moved for the door, whistling for Jo to follow her. Springing from her chair, Maura jogged after Jane, grabbing the woman's sleeve just as she slipped out of the house. Jane turned and in that instant, Maura threw herself up into Jane's arms, wrapping her legs around the woman's waist. Jane had to take a step back to balance herself but grinned at Maura as she slid her hands around the woman's back, sliding them up, underneath the t-shirt, feeling Maura's soft skin. Their lips met in feverish kisses for several moments until Maura pulled back slightly.

"I'm glad you came over last night, Jane." She said earnestly. "Even if I don't agree with naming your surgical procedure 'skila'."

"Did you just make a joke?" Jane teased, tightening her grip on Maura for a moment before releasing her, the woman sliding down her body. Maura's smirk turned to a look of surprise as Jane pinched her behind before turning and jogging down the short flight of stairs, calling to Jo and heading for her vehicle. Glancing over her shoulder, she waved at Maura and smiled as she climbed behind the wheel.

Watching Jane leave, Maura lent against the doorjamb and sighed, contentedly. Spinning on her toes, she moved back into the house and found herself face to face with Angela. The two women shared knowing smiles as they enjoyed their breakfast; the early morning theirs.

Much later, after Angela had ducked out to run errands and Maura had taken a luxurious, tear-free shower, Dr. Isles emerged feeling refreshed. The Medical Examiner had never gotten a good night's sleep as she had the night before and with her new found energy, she made a short list of things she'd been putting off, completing them with her usual efficiency. Midday rolled around and she checked her cell, sending Jane a brief text.

When the cell jingled a moment later, Maura glanced at the screen and was not surprised to see Jane's name flashing.

"Isles." She answered, grinning to herself.

"And Rizzoli. Mar, you free tonight?"

"That depends. Why are you asking, Jane?"

"Frost found out what a Bizarre Food Expo is and something tells me he won't be my date."

Maura was surprised at the twinge of jealousy she felt as she heard Jane refer to Frost being her date, even if it was in a strictly work-related sense. Clearing her throat, Maura lent against the marble counter.

"And you're calling me because?"

"I thought," Jane said and Maura could hear the grin in her voice, "You'd be my date instead."

"Oh! Really?" Maura asked, thrilled at the idea. "I have this Bottega Veneta gown I've been eager to debut. And a pair of Bontoni heels."

"Alright, alright." Jane laughed. "I'll swing past at 7PM and pick you up."

"Jane!"

"What?"

"That's in seven hours!"

"I know."

"But... but..." Maura trailed off, distraught at having such little notice. "I have to go!" Ending the call, she set the cell down upon the counter and raced towards the bedroom.

Maura paced the living room, glancing at the clock for the fourth time. Jane would be arriving in less than fifteen minutes and, although the gown she wore was exquisite with its to-the-ground skirt that bunched around her waist, connected to a corset-style bodice that enhanced her already generous bosom, she wondered if she should change. Was it too formal? The event they were attending was held at the Boston Hilton, not an unglamorous place.

At the sound of Jane's car rolling into her driveway, she squeaked. Flying to the door, she peered through the glass panel before moving away again, heels clicking until they hit the Persian rug, instantly muting the noise. Jane swept into Maura's home, somewhat out of breath as she'd jogged up the driveway and stood, mouth agape as she caught sight of Maura.

"You're... breath-taking." Maura blushed slightly at the compliment, then glancing down at what Jane wore. The suit was clean, at least, but still one she wore on a daily basis around the precinct. Jane's hair was quite messed and upon closer inspection, there was a small reddish brown stain on the lapel of Jane's shirt. Maura poked it and Jane glanced down.

"Ketchup." She grinned.

"This won't do."

"Next time I'll use mustard?" Jane remarked, cocking her head to one side. Maura gave her an impatient look and shook her head, taking the woman's hand and dragging her to the bedroom. "Wait, we don't have time!" Jane protested. "Not that I'm against the idea..."

"Sit." Maura commanded and Jane obeyed, watching as Maura hiked up her skirts, moving into the walk-in wardrobe and rifling through the rack that held her designer gowns. "Ha!" Maura declared, yanking what she'd been looking for off the rack and turning to face Jane, eyes sparkling as she held up the gown. Jane's upper lip rose as she looked to Maura with disbelief.

"I'm not wearing that."

"You'll look stunning."

"I'll look like a train wreck!" Jane moaned. "Mar, c'mon!"

"Stand up." Maura commanded, pleased at how Jane obeyed her. Laying the gown upon the bed, she yanked Jane's jacket off in a feverish rush and Jane couldn't help but smirk.

"This is more like it."

"No! Jane! Stand still!" Maura continued to undress the woman, leaving her standing in only her underwear. Jane cupped her hands over her bare breasts in mock embarrassment as Maura carefully withdrew the gown from the protective plastic. Unzipping it, she ordered Jane to step into the dress, moving around to stand behind the woman as Jane did as she was told.

"There." Maura smiled softly as Jane turned to face her again. The skirt of the gown hung to the floor, much like the one Maura wore, and the bodice was somewhat different in that it looked as if it was simply material pulled up and over Jane's shoulders, creating a 'V' all the way from her navel up, leaving the greater area of her chest exposed, but covering her breasts. Maura smiled appreciatively at the sight briefly before pulling Jane into the bathroom and forcing her to sit before the mirror.

Sweeping up the long, dark locks, Maura piled Jane's hair onto her head and pinned it in place, the Detective moaning throughout the process. Adding just a hint of make-up, much to Jane's greatest displeasure, Maura retrieved a pair of dangling earrings from her own collection, complete with a matching locket that she slid around Jane's wrist. The toe-less heels that had not been altered by the blade of Maura's scalpel fit perfectly and finally Maura declared Jane ready.

"Oh my!" Angela surprised the two as they emerged from the bedroom. "Janie! Oh!" Angela fanned her face, tears prickling her eyes as she looked Jane over again. "You look so handsome!"

"Isn't she?" Maura beamed.

"Do you have time to take a picture?"

"Ma! No! No pictures!" Jane groaned.

"Janie, please? I never got a prom picture!"

"You didn't go?" Maura asked, looking at Jane.

"Oh, I went. But I wore a suit." Jane snorted with laughter as Angela reappeared, having grabbed Maura's digital camera.

"It was such a shame. Tony Marconi was a lovely boy, he was so nervous to be taking you to prom."

"He was probably afraid I'd break his arm if he tried anything."

"You did."

"Well, he did!" Jane squeaked. "C'mon, Ma, we're late as it is." Jane urged, looping her arm about Maura's waist and pulling her closer. Maura smiled at her and then blinked as the flash went off.

"Oh, I wasn't ready!" Maura complained and Angela merely smiled.

"I know. Neither of you were looking. But it's a great shot. One more!" She urged and the two women obliged, smiling brightly for the camera, Maura's temple resting against Jane's.

"Alright, we have to go! Come on, come on!" Jane ushered Maura out of the townhouse, waving to her mother. The two women hurried to the beefy Ford F-250 Jane drove. Jane, unaccustomed to walking in a dress, nearly tripped and glared over at Maura, who was already waiting patiently beside the passenger door. "Not a word." Jane warned. Maura made a gesture of zipping her lips. Provided they were zipped, she couldn't reveal to Jane that Frost, the poor man, had received an e-mail from Maura that afternoon, with a link to images of exactly what kind of food was served at the expo. What Jane didn't know, Maura mused, wouldn't hurt her.

The Boston Hilton was a luxurious hotel, the décor a mixture of gold and red, giving it a very Hollywood feel. A swarm of strange-food lovers had gathered in the foyer, each required to sign in and receive a name-tag, although Jane casually 'forgot' to wear hers. As they emerged into the grand conference hall, Maura watched Jane from the corner of her eye, scanning the crowd.

It was Maura who spied Korsak first, decked to the nines in an elegant suit and bow tie, the same attire as the other waiters and she dipped her head to hide her smile. Wishing Angela was there with the camera, she made eye-contact with Korsak once she'd removed the knowing smile from her face. Nudging Jane, she lent close to the woman, inhaling her scent briefly.

"Was that all?" Jane teased.

"Oh! Korsak's over by the ice sculpture." Maura said, turning around to face out towards the crowd, not the large buffet-style tables that were set up around the edge of the room, large silver trays covering silver platters.

"I see him." Jane said, turning her attention back to Maura. "You ever been to one of these before?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Curious."

Maura permitted a short smile and bowed her head, but before she could answer, the room was filled with the sound of someone clinking against a champagne flute. The ocean of people all turned to the front of the room, giving their attention to the handsomely dressed man upon the small podium. He smiled a dazzling smile and set the flute aside, stepping closer to the microphone.

"Good evening and welcome," He began. "I will make this brief; I am pleased to see so many supporters here in Boston, attending the Bizarre Food Expo. We have a wide variety of dishes for your dining pleasure this evening and encourage you to try as much or as little as you would like."

His words were met with a round of applause and Jane began scanning the faces immediately surrounding her. If Giannis was right, somewhere in the crowd was Katrina. Of course she knew they were expecting a positive outcome without knowing for certain that the woman would be there, but it was the best lead they had at finding her.

Maura nudged Jane then, bringing her attention back to the man speaking, his speech almost over with. He wished everyone a pleasant evening and to please feel free to approach him with feedback throughout the night. Stepping off the podium, he gave a signal and the double doors swung open, a bevy of waiters carrying trays appearing. Maura slipped her purse, a sequined number, into Jane's hand as she eagerly watched the waiters set the platters down, all moving at once to reveal the assortments of delicacies.

With interest, Maura made her way to the nearest table, coincidentally to where Korsak stood as a waiter on the other side and she offered him a friendly smile.

"What would you recommend?" She asked him with a twinkle in her eye.

"I'd suggest sampling the ceviche, ma'am." Korsak smiled, bowing slightly and Maura looked down at the dish, delighted. Taking a small plate, she spooned some of the selection onto her plate.

"Maura!" Jane was suddenly beside her. "You are not going to eat that, are you?"

"Why not, Jane?" Maura asked, looking from Korsak to Jane and back again. Jane threw barely a fleeting glance in Korsak's direction, quite accustomed to basically ignoring her long-time friend when they were under cover. "Ceviche is undoubtedly one of the more tamer dishes on offer."

"Do not put that in your mouth!" Jane stammered, blushing furiously as Maura threw her a look implying she'd rather have something else in her mouth. The second glance she gave in Korsak's direction lasted a tad longer, long enough to see the goatee-bearing man stifle a laugh.

"Marinated in citrus juice, seasoned with chilli powder, salt and just a hint of pepper." Maura smacked her lips together as she stabbed another piece of the raw fish. Lifting it to her lips, she looked to Jane and offered the morsel to her. Jane nearly gagged, turning her face away as Maura slid the piece between her lips and chewed it.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

"Ah, I have heard that many times before." Jane glanced up at the man who sidled over to her, twisting his way through the small crowd as he approached. "It would not be the first time someone 'lost their lunch' at this event."

"Really?" Jane said, the man not seeming to notice the sarcasm in her tone as he glanced to Maura.

"I see you are quite the aficionado."

"Oh, no, not at all." Maura blushed as Jane stood behind the man, eyes bulging at the back of his head. Maura gave the slightest of frowns at Jane, who threw her hands up and turned away.

"You strike me as the kind of woman who knows what she likes."

"Perhaps." Maura permitted, giving a short smile.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Richard Winston." Taking Maura's free hand, he placed a kiss upon it and glanced up at her. Maura gave him a short smile as she withdrew her hand, setting the plate of ceviche down upon the table.

"Maura Isles. You host this event?"

"Annually, yes. I travel America." Richard offered as Maura fell in-step beside him. "I have not seen you before, however. And yours is a face I would not soon forget."

"My face is rather symmetrical, a common facial structure." Maura pointed out, stunning Richard into a momentary silence. "But thank you." She added hastily, trying to spy Jane amongst the crowd. Given the deep red the dress Jane wore was one of the more brighter gowns amongst the crowd, she would have expected to see the Detective easily enough and she frowned when she could not see her lover.

"Have you had a chance to sample the frog congee?" Richard asked and Maura raised her eyebrows interest. It had been quite some time since she'd sampled a delectable rice porridge and the amphibian twist was quite new to her. Allowing Richard to take her by the elbow, Maura followed the man across the room, still trying to spot Jane.

Jane stomped out of the conference hall, beyond angry. How could Maura have flirted so blatantly with that man, in front of her? Pacing, she grind her teeth until she winced, forcing herself to stop and take a deep breath. Jane shook her head at her unkind thoughts. There had to be a reason; Maura wouldn't turn on the charm for just anyone. Forcing herself to return to the room, she searched for Maura.

Instead, she spied Katrina Appleby's face. There was no mistaking the blonde profile and Jane ducked behind a small group as the woman turned in Jane's direction. They had found her in the DMV system, of course; her record was squeaky clean, aside from one speeding ticket. Katrina's employment was unlisted, but Jane mused that judging by the dress she wore, she was independently wealthy.

Moving through the crowd, Jane kept one eye on Katrina, the other trained towards Korsak as she approached him. Standing side-on, she looked briefly at Korsak.

"I've heard the Red Sox's are the team to beat." Jane said, which was code for 'I've seen the suspect, I'm going to close in'. Korsak gave a short nod as he stepped forward, sliding a sample of the ceviche onto a plate and handing it to Jane. She grimaced as she accepted it, turning around and locking onto Katrina.

"Hannah, is that you?" Jane called as she approached and the young woman turned, revealing the faces of the group she'd been with. Jane was stunned to see Maura there, with the sniveling man still beside her. Richard. Jane almost narrowed her eyes.

"Jane, there you are!" Maura declared in a somewhat haughty voice. "This is Richard Winston, our host! And this is Katrina Appleby, one of Richard's most enthusiastic enthusiast." For a moment, Jane was stumped, but the moment passed quickly as she smiled at Maura, handing the plate to a passing waiter and moving to stand beside Maura.

Richard's arm was still about Maura's waist and Jane glanced at it, then at Maura, who was offering her attention to Richard, the man continuing the story Jane had interrupted. Realizing she wasn't going to get Maura's attention, Jane glanced at Katrina. In a gloved hand, Jane grimaced to realize, she held a champagne flute. When a waiter walked past her, she set the glass down and Jane was just about to rush after the young man when she felt a hand on her forearm. Stalled, she glanced at the hand, then to Maura.

"Richard was just telling me he knew the young man who died in the Commons, Jane."

"Is that so?" Jane asked, her voice deep with sarcasm. "If you'll excuse me." Jane said, pulling her arm away from Maura's touch. Maura frowned slightly and hesitantly withdrew her hand. Jane turned away and tried to spy the waiter, disgruntled when she realized she'd lost him in the crowd. Looking to Korsak, she was further dismayed when he shook his head; he had not been able to leave his post to go after the young man either.

Jane sighed as she peered around her. The faces were all unfamiliar, the food even more so and she felt extremely uncomfortable in her gown. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Maura, saw how well Maura interacted with the people in the group and felt even worse. These people were Maura's people. Jane had felt this way once before, but now, the feeling was far worse.

Although she couldn't leave the event until they had what they'd come for, Jane could sneak out for a breath of fresh air, the chilled night air cooling her flushed skin as she glanced about the front entrance to the hotel.

"Unseasonably cold, isn't it?" Jane spun to find herself face to face with Katrina, the woman pulling a cigarette case from her purse. "I know, terrible habit in this day and age, but, well, what can I say? Would you care to join me?"

"I don't smoke, thank you." Jane offered with a smile. "But I'll keep you company."

"Wonderful. Katrina."

"Jane."

"Are you a virgin?" Katrina asked as she struck a match, bringing it to the tip of the cigarette.

Jane's jaw dropped and she stared at the woman, outraged. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, forgive me!" Katrina laughed gayly. "I mean, BFE virgin." Jane quickly surmised what the acronym stood for and smiled.

"Yes. Yes I am." Jane rocked back on the heels, only to find she almost lost her balance and stumbled slightly. "You?"

"No, I've been to one in every state, almost every continent. Tonight is my final expo, however."

"Oh?"

"A friend of mine passed recently." Katrina said with genuine sadness and Jane arched an eyebrow. Taking a moment, she studied Katrina's face closely. There was something oddly familiar. It took a moment for her to realize what it was and then when she did, she bit back her initial reaction.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Jane spoke, albeit somewhat belatedly.

"Thank you. We'd only just met, six months ago or so, but we were quite close. Carson." Katrina offered and Jane shifted from one foot to the other as she tried to look sympathetic. "I can't imagine why anyone would want to hurt him, he was so sweet, so caring."

"Sounds like he was more than a friend." Jane said carefully and Katrina scoffed.

"Carson had a wonderful husband who wasn't as enthusiastic as he and I were about our dining habits." Katrina shrugged. "That didn't matter to me, though." She said, making it perfectly clear to Jane.

"Of course not." Jane allowed, giving a short smile. Katrina returned the smile as she took a final drag on the cigarette, tossing the butt to the ground.

"I'll see you inside?" Katrina asked and Jane gave a nod.

"I think I'll just stay out here a bit longer. It's pretty, you know, daunting, up there."

"Of course. Nice to have met you, Jane."

"Likewise."

Jane watched as Katrina disappeared back inside the building. The moment the woman was out of sight, Jane opened Maura purse and dug through it, prying out the plastic evidence bag she knew Maura had stashed for just this purpose. Slipping on a latex glove, Jane squatted, picking up the still smoldering butt carefully between her fingertips. Stubbing out the remaining ash, she waved it about for a moment, slipping it into the plastic bag and sealing it. Prying the glove from her hand, she tossed both back into Maura's purse and grinned as she walked back into the hotel.

The minute she entered the conference room, Jane signaled Korsak. He bowed away from the women who'd just approached his buffet table, allowing an actual waiter to take his place. Removing his tie, he made it appear as if he was taking a break as he disappeared through the swinging doors into what Jane knew was the kitchen. She did not envy him going into the kitchen, having heard that teriyaki cockroaches were on the menu, freshly made, along with an assortment of other bugs and beetles, some of which were ingested live.

Seeing Maura, Jane grit her teeth as she approached the group. Katrina was no where to be seen, but that did not bother her. They had the DNA and as far as Jane was concerned, that was all they needed. What bothered her was the charming smile on Richard's face, aimed towards Maura.

"Dr. Isles!" Jane called, the entire group turning to look at her, one or two glancing back at Maura who had not introduced herself as a doctor. Generally, Maura found that once she informed people she was actually Chief Medical Examiner for the state of Massachusetts, that led to further questions which led to the revelation that she was a forensic pathologist, and performed autopsies. From there, the conversations generally fizzled out around her. Unless, of course, she happened to be at an annual convention where she was more often than not either the keynote speaker or on a panel.

Maura's smile faded as the group began throwing curious glances in her direction and she broke away from Richard, moving towards Jane.

"Was that necessary?" Maura's tone was less than pleasant and Jane blinked, outraged.

"I don't know, Maura. Is that," Jane glanced at Richard, "Necessary?"

"I'm gathering information."

"That's not why I asked you to come with me!"

"You certainly did not ask me as your date, that's for sure." Maura pointed out. "You asked me because of my abilities."

Jane had no come back for that. Although she had had every intention as posing as a couple with Frost, when she'd heard he couldn't stop vomiting, she had instantly thought of Maura both in the capacity as her date and as someone she could trust to be professional. Truth be told, the professional angle had been forefront in her mind, not the date.

"I'm leaving. We got what we came for." Jane said. Maura inhaled deeply.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then, Jane."

"What... Maura! Come _on_!" Jane exclaimed, a tad louder than she'd intended to. Maura looked around apologetically before she grabbed Jane's arm, yanking her away from the larger group.

"I'm not ready to leave yet. I'm interested in what our group is talking about, Jane."

"We're on the clock, Maura!"

"You are. I'm not."

Maura did not say another word as she turned and left, angry with Jane Rizzoli. Of course Maura had staged Frost being unable to attend with the idea that it would be a working date for her and Jane, but she had not imagined Jane would leave her side so soon. When Richard had come along, as slimy and as sleazy as he was, she had listened with forced interest, a move that had proved invaluable. After all, Richard had led her directly to Katrina, which had in turn given her access to the woman. Had Jane not interrupted, she would have offered to retrieve a refill for the blonde. Maura sighed, trying to calm her thoughts.

They had the DNA sample, that was all that mattered. More importantly, she had the sample and she would leave here and go directly to the crime lab and begin processing the evidence Jane had collected. In the mean time, Maura thought, she would stay and enjoy herself. The job was done, after all. Yet as she returned to the group, she found she could not enjoy the conversation, especially once she was asked what kind of doctor she was.

In the end, miserable and alone, Maura excused herself after informing the group she was the CME for Boston, not waiting for the inevitable questions that would follow. There was no sign of Korsak, or of Jane. Hailing a taxi, Maura ordered the driver to take her to the precinct, feeling incredibly sorry for herself.

* * *

><p>In the deserted autopsy suite, Maura moved across the cement floor, her gown dragging ever so slightly along the ground, although she did not notice. Part of her had hoped to find Jane in the squad room, pouring over Carson's file. When she found the squad room locked, deserted, she had sighed and tried to call Jane's cell, again. The stubborn woman had not answered and Maura was torn between being annoyed and simply being upset.<p>

Of course she could understand Jane's point of view, but still, she had thought Jane would have understood hers. It only made sense to her to befriend Richard, considering that in the process of the conversation she'd had with him, he had revealed to her that he'd known the 'poor fellow' who'd been murdered in the Commons. Jane's untimely arrived had prevented Maura from finding out more information and worse, after Jane outing her professional status to the group, she did not have the opportunity again.

Glancing about the crime lab, Maura sighed. It would simply _not_ do to work in the Bottega Veneta she wore and so, once again, she changed into a pair of standard scrubs, these ones blue, and retrieved the pair of sneakers she always kept in her locker. The shoes were brand new, hardly worn, and squeaked loudly over the cement as she walked. Sliding a CD into the player, she listened to the first strains of Strauss Jr's '_Wine, Wimen & Song_' before moving into the lab.

Extracting the DNA from the cigarette filter took several hours and Maura was quite surprised to find it was 4AM. Tempted to remain in the lab, she decided against it. What did not surprise the M.E, however, was that upon checking her cell, there were several messages from Jane, the last simply asking 'Where R U?'

Maura inhaled deeply as she tapped out a reply, not expecting that Jane would answer. The sound of the elevator chime shocked her, but not as much as Jane appearing before her, a sheepish look on the Detective's face. Still decked out in the gown Maura had dressed her in so many hours earlier, Jane inched towards Maura uncertainly.

"Can we... can we just not be not talking now?" Jane begged and Maura felt tears sting as she nodded her head, opening her arms. As Jane came to her, she could not help but notice that Jane had changed out of the heels and into a pair of unlaced boots. Laughing, she pulled Jane into a passionate embrace. Their lips met hungrily, Jane sliding her hands under Maura's scrubs, lightly grazing over sensitive flesh.

"Jane," Maura gasped, "God, Jane. I need you to touch me, Jane." Rizzoli did not need to be asked a second time as she waltzed the woman in her arms backwards, into Maura's office, kicking the door shut with her heel. Much to Maura's dismay, Jane swept the items from her desk aside and lay the M.E upon the cherry-wood, climbing onto the desk and placing her body above Maura's. Their lips met, hungry for one another as Jane slid her hand past the draw-string waistband of Maura's scrubs, giving a soft gasp as her fingertips brushed against the fine curls of Maura's center.

Moving past the curls, Jane entered Maura, causing the Medical Examiner to cry out, thrusting to meet Jane's tempo. Feeling her orgasm build, she clung to Jane, crying out her lover's name as long fingers entered her slowly, then faster. The flick of Jane's thumb over that most sensitive bundle caused Maura to scream, her voice carrying through the office door, into the autopsy suite and surrounding labs as Maura's orgasm washed over her, her release powerful, her entire body trembling as Jane collapsed upon her.

"Oh, Jane." Maura finally managed, still somewhat breathless. "Jane, what you do to me." Jane gave a somewhat cocky grin as she lifted her head to meet Maura's gaze.

"What do I do to you? Tell me?" Jane asked softly.

"I will," Maura said, shifting slightly as a look of discomfort crossed her expression. "But not here. At my place?" Maura suggested, lifting her hips off the desk and reaching beneath her. The small paper weight, a piece of amber with a tiny scorpion embedded inside, caused Jane to wince upon seeing it. "It was digging into my gluteus maximus."

"I'll take you home and kiss it better." Jane promised, helping Maura down from the desk. Maura looked about her office, frowning as Jane's promise became the last thing on her mind. It would not do to leave the paperwork scattered across the floor, the pen holder knocked over to its side and an assortment of other bits and pieces strewn about. Maura had no doubt the cleaner would come past and simply trash everything. Just the thought sent her into a slight panic and she began hastily picking up the pieces of paper.

"Sorry about that. Heat of the moment, you know." Jane gushed as she dropped to one knee, helping her partner. Maura offered a shy smile, blushing slightly.

"That was my first time."

"No! Really?" Jane teased. "Wait, are you serious?" Jane stood up suddenly, pulling Maura to her feet. "With a woman? Because after the other night, I thought..." Jane said, frowning slightly. Maura could not help but laugh.

"It was my first time on a piece of office furniture. It was certainly not my first time with a woman." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and she looked to Jane, the Detective's eyes widening in surprise.

"You've... you've been with other women before?"

"Oh, Jane. Are you really that surprised?" Maura inquired, watching the woman's face closely. Jane thought about the question and lowered her gaze, shaking her head ever so slightly. "I've had female lovers before you, Jane, but I don't plan on having anymore."

"Really?" Jane asked, grinning slowly. "Wait, unless I've turned you off female... you know, relations." Jane waggled her eyebrows, an attempt at humor to disguise how worried she was over Maura's as yet unspoken answer.

Maura set the pieces of paper down upon the desk and moved right into Jane's space, wrapping her arms around the woman's neck, pulling her lips down to meet her own, trying to convey all she felt, all the passion, all the desire, in that one gesture. By the time she released Jane from the kiss, Rizzoli staggered back, breathless and speechless. Unable to do anything but grin widely like a fool, Jane slipped her arm about Maura's waist, holding her tightly.

It only took a few minutes to clear the mess Jane had inadvertently made and before long, they had left the precinct. Jane's Ford F-250 awaited them and Maura climbed into the vehicle, easing herself into the passenger seat as she watched with delight whilst Jane jogged around to the driver's side, hoisting herself up into the cab. Resting her hand upon Jane's thigh, she looked over and smiled. It was Sunday, traditionally a day Maura spent catching up on her reports at home, but something told her she'd be rather preoccupied that day.

* * *

><p>Monday morning came all too soon for the couple, yet still Maura was eager to return to the lab to continue the testing she'd begun in the early hours of Sunday morning. With any luck, they would have the DNA they needed from the cigarette filter. Furthermore, there was Jo Friday's contribution to start processing although Maura could not help but wonder if she could hand that task to one of her assistants.<p>

Jane had gone to her apartment briefly, mid-afternoon Sunday, after they'd woken from a lengthy doze and returned with a small overnight bag, although both Maura and Jane wondered how much time Jane would spend in her apartment now they were embarking on a new chapter together. Maura knew it would not be all smooth sailing; Jane was famously untidy and Maura was, well, Maura. But she was also positive they would find a steady medium, if nothing else.

These thoughts amused her as she entered her office, pleased to see her desk restored to its normal tidy state. Sliding on her long medical coat, Maura began the usual Monday morning rounds and routines.

The sample was almost completely processed by mid-morning and Maura sent Jane a brief text to inform her that they would have the results shortly. Some fifteen minutes later, Jane appeared, strolling casually into the autopsy suite where Maura sat, perched on the edge of her seat.

"Coffee?" Jane offered a Division One Cafe cup to Maura who accepted it with a wide smile. "I heard you might have some results for me?"

"I do, actually, yes." Maura beamed as she rolled across the floor to the printer, lifting the pages she'd just sent to it from the tray. "It's not what you were hoping for."

"Oh?"

"Katrina's DNA is a match to the DNA we found on Carson."

"That's what I was hoping for."

"There's more, Jane. I think you should sit down."

"Don't tell me she's my half-sister." Jane snorted, joking. Yet when she saw the expression on Maura's face, she almost dropped her coffee. "Mar, please."

"Sit, Jane." Jane did so. "Katrina is not your half-sister. She is, however, Carson's."

"Huh?"

"Stella Anderson is both Carson and Katrina's mother."

"So... Katrina's like... my quarter sister?"

"No." Maura frowned. "Why on earth would you think that?"

"Gee, Maura, I don't know! Why would I think that? Maybe it's because you told me Carson was _my _half-brother not that long ago."

"Oh, Jane." Maura permitted a soft smile. "I just meant that the news that Katrina was related to Carson may have come as a surprise to you."

"Well, yea, of course. But, sheesh, Mar!" Jane scoffed, rising. "I thought it was going to be worse than that."

"No." Maura still did not understand how Jane had misunderstood her, but decided not to pursue it. Instead, she placed the printouts into a manila folder which she then handed to Jane. Their fingers met, a movement done purposefully by Jane and the two women shared a smile.

"I should get this up to Frost and Korsak. I think it's time we brought Katrina in for a little chat."

"You suspect her?"

"I have DNA!" Jane scoffed. "That's better than anything!" Without waiting to hear what Maura had to say, Jane turned and left, hurrying out of the suite. Maura sighed. Granted, it seemed as there was a strong chance Katrina had harmed Carson, but Maura just did not feel comfortable with the idea. Shaking her head, she dismissed it. Maura was a Medical Examiner, not a Detective.

"I'm the Detective, I'll ask the questions." Jane said, slapping the manila folder down upon the steel table between herself and Katrina Appleby, who had demanded to know why she'd been picked up, at her workplace no less, by Frost and Korsak. Jane had sent the two to retrieve the woman whilst she'd taken care of a few errands. Now, she stood in the interrogation room, a cold smile on her lips as she faced Katrina.

"You were more than just friends with Carson Anderson, weren't you?"

"Carson was gay, _Detective_. We weren't anything more than friends."

"I never said you were romantically involve, Katrina. It's just that your DNA was all over the crime scene." A slight fabrication sometimes helped ease a confession out of someone with a guilty confession, the idea being that they would want to try to correct the erroneous statement and by doing so, out themselves.

"Of course my DNA was all over Carson," Katrina did not bite, which confused Jane. It meant that either she knew the game, or she had nothing to hide. "He was my brother. Isn't that what you found out? Isn't that why I'm here?" Stunned, Jane tried not to let her jaw drop as she looked from Katrina to Frost, who stood behind the woman. Jane had not realized that Katrina knew about the blood relation between herself and Carson.

"If you knew, why didn't you say so sooner? Where were you when we spoke with your mother?"

"I've been busy comforting her, making funeral arraignments. I... I visited Giannis yesterday and told him everything."

"Wait, what? Told him everything about what?" Jane demanded. Katrina exhaled deeply, looking suddenly weary.

"Carson had no idea I was his sister. I only just found out about this other man my mother had been seeing for years, some kind of second family spiel." Jane felt her stomach clench and she looked up at Frost, nodding towards the door. He took the hint and quietly excused himself. Taking a seat across from Katrina, Jane swallowed thickly.

"You only just found out?"

"That's right. My parents divorced when I was... three, or four, I think. I hardly ever saw my mother. We're not exactly the best of friends. But about thirteen months ago, my father got sick, real sick." Katrina's expression softened. "He told me about my mother and her 'other' family, about Carson. He wanted me to find him, get to know him, have family around me for when..." Katrina could not speak for the tears that were falling down her face.

Jane felt tears sting her own eyes. Reaching out, she placed a hand upon Katrina's forearm. Knowing that they were no longer being observed through the two-way mirror, Jane exhaled slowly.

"The man your mother is with?" Jane said, her voice thick, "He's my father."

"I don't understand."

"Me either." Jane confessed. Wishing that Maura was there, Jane inhaled deeply as she explained all she had learned about her father in the last week. Despite the differences between them, the two women had a kinship, an understanding and by the time they emerged from the interrogation room, Jane almost felt that maybe, just maybe, Katrina could be the sister she'd never had.

"Wanna talk?" Frost offered as Jane entered the squad room.

"No, thanks." She didn't, at least not to him, Jane knew. "Suffice to say Katrina isn't the one we're looking for."

"What, just because you find out she's Carson's half-sister? Sounds like motive to me." Korsak spoke up, looking at Jane in earnest. "I'm just saying, Jane. Katrina told you she found out about Carson thirteen months ago, right? Maybe she spent all the time planning."

"I don't think so." Jane said darkly. "There has to be something we're missing."

"I hope so. Because if not, we're back at square one, Jane." Korsak spoke, somewhat perturbed. Sighing, Jane shrugged.

"What do you want me to do, call her back and say 'Sorry, my old partner thinks your lying!' Really, Korsak? Really?" Jane snapped, seeing the look of hurt on Korsak's face at the mention of their former partnership in such a off-handed manner. Jane exhaled loudly and shook her head. Without another word, she barged out of the sqaud-room, making a bee-line for the one person who would understand where she was coming from.

Angela Rizzoli glanced up as her daughter entered the cafe. Having made herself scarce over the weekend, she had expected to see a lightness in Jane's step, a smile on her face, knowing that she and Dr. Isles had not left the house for an entire 24-hours, bar the forty minutes it had taken Jane to retrieve an overnight bag; Angela had seen her hurry from the house only to hurry back in when she'd gotten back.

"Janie, you don't look so great."

"Ma, can we talk?"

"Sure." Angela led Jane towards the far end of the counter, looking to the young assistant she'd hired a short time ago. "What's wrong?". Jane inhaled deeply.

"I found out Carson had a half-sister, other than me. Katrina. Real nice. We thought maybe she had something to do with his death, since her DNA was all over him, but it wasn't, it was part of him." Jane sighed. She frowned then as Angela raised a hand to silence her daughter.

"Janie, why aren't you talking to Dr. Isles about this?"

"You don't want to talk?"

"It's not that. It's just... I don't want to know, Jane." Angela explained softly. "When I think about Carson, as sad as it is that he died, I think about your father and what he did to me."

"Oh, Ma! I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"It's alright, Janie. But Dr. Isles can help you, she can give you an objective opinion and I can't."

Jane stood and moved to the other side of the counter, hugging her mother tightly.

"I love you, Ma." Jane whispered.

"I love you, too, Janie."

Breaking away from her mother, Jane gave the older Rizzoli a wide smile as she turned and hurried out of the cafe and to the elevator where she waited impatiently for the doors to slide open. Stepping into the enclosed space, she bounced on the heels of her feet as the elevator traveled downwards. Hovering in front of the door, she shot through it the moment it opened and hurried towards Maura's office.

Glancing up, Maura smiled warmly as Jane entered. Closing the door behind her, Jane approached and perched herself on the edge of Maura's desk, pointedly resting her hand in the center of the desk and Maura blushed.

"Jane!" Maura whispered. "You are _not_ thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

"Actually, no." Jane said with a teasing smile. "I need your advice."

"Of course." Jane quickly explained, telling Maura of how she'd spoken with Katrina and how she felt about the woman, then how Korsak seemed to think there was a chance Katrina was still somehow involved. Maura listened with absolute patience as Jane began to pace, commenting on how if Katrina wasn't involved, they were back at the beginning. Maura took that as her cue.

"And what was at the beginning, Jane?"

"Uh, finding Carson's body. C'mon, you were there, Maura, so was Jo... Tell me you found something." Jane's eyes widened in realization, hope and surprise.

"We found something." Maura answered immediately.

"I could kiss you."

"I could accept that." Maura reasoned, still taken by surprise when Jane was suddenly on the other side of the desk, between Maura's knees, leaning forward and kissing her. Allowing herself to swim in the delightful sensation for just a moment, Maura reluctantly pulled away. "Tonight." She promised softly.

"Tell me what you found." Jane suggested, moving to place distance between herself and Maura for fear of tearing the woman's Givenchy knitted sweater from Maura's body there and then, an act she knew Maura would be absolutely outraged over.

"Jo's feces? We found a hair." Maura smiled. "All we need is a match. Did Katrina mention anything about Carson having any troubles with anyone?" Jane blinked, thinking.

"No, we didn't touch on that." She admitted, feeling a twinge of guilt. The session with Katrina should have been more professional, Jane knew that much at least.

"Can you call her, ask her?"

"I'll get right on that." Jane said eagerly. She offered a sweet smile in Maura's direction before leaving the office.

Katrina Appleby was somewhat surprised to hear from Jane so soon, although still pleased and they chatted briefly, tentatively beginning to build what both women hoped could be a solid friendship. For Katrina, it would be a bittersweet consolation prize, having lost a brother but gaining a would-be sister. For Jane, who had never had an easy time maintaining friendships with other women, it would be a learning curve well worth the effort. Yet she turned her tone professional at the earliest opportunity.

"Katrina, did Carson have any enemies that you're aware of?"

"Oh, no, not enemies." Katrina scoffed. "Although, he had a disagreement with Richard Winston." At the mere mention of the man's name, Jane felt her skin crawl and she cleared her throat, pushing the image of his arm about Maura's waist from her mind.

"What kind of disagreement?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. Carson called me..." Katrina trailed off and Jane heard the woman stifle a sniff; she truly had cared for her half-brother and had nothing but good intentions. Jane was a fool to have even considered otherwise. "Two days before he died, upset. He said he'd had an argument and wanted to meet for drinks that night, but I was attending a charity event."

"Did he say what it was about?"

"No and I didn't ask. But I would assume it would have been about funding."

"Funding?" Jane frowned slightly. "Funding for what?"

"The BFE in Boston. Richard was in debt, quite a lot actually, and Carson had funded his last two events on the promise that his investment would be returned, but it never was."

A short while later, armed with the new information, Jane made her way back to Maura, entering the M.E's office to find her on the telephone. Maura smiled brightly as she spied Jane, not taking her eyes off the handsome woman as she paced the room before her. It several minutes for the call to come to an end, but which time Jane was beside herself with impatience.

"Finally!" Jane gasped as she dropped into the arm chair across from the desk and flopped about. Maura permitted a short smile.

"Patience isn't your strong suit."

"You think?"

"Something tells me you have information." Maura skipped over Jane's remark and pushed her chair back from the desk, moving around to carry an armload of books to the bookcase on the far left of her office. Jane jumped up, taking the armload and holding it as Maura set about re-shelving the tomes.

"I spoke with Katrina, who told me that a certain Richard Winston knew Carson and in fact, argued with him two days before Carson died."

"I see." Maura flashed another short smile at Jane. "And?"

"Maura, c'mon! You got all, you know..." Jane trailed off, finding it difficult to swallow down her jealousy for a moment. "Close and... stuff."

"Jane, I befriended Richard in the hopes of learning information." Maura explained gently.

"And did you?"

"No." Maura frowned as she set the last book upon the shelf. "But I did get his business card."

* * *

><p>Maura glanced up as Jane entered the squad room, her dark eyes darker than usual as she slammed the warrant for Richard's DNA down on the desk, causing the entire desk to shake slightly.<p>

"God-damn it!" Jane howled as both Frost and Korsak threw cautious glances at one another, then at Maura. Rolling her eyes, Maura stepped forward, placing herself between the two Detectives and Jane, as if she were some kind of human shield. Inhaling deeply, she waited until Jane stopped pacing and turned to face her completely.

"Something wrong, Jane?"

"Judge Haulderone won't sign the warrant!"

"Why?"

"He doesn't think a single hair follicle is enough evidence to go on." Jane snorted. "And I might have accidentally insulted him."

"Jane, what did you do?" Maura asked, shocked. Knowing Lucas Haulderone, she found it hard to believe anyone could insult the good-natured man. But as Jane explained that she'd bumped into him and called him 'kid' by mistake, Maura's face fell. "The characteristic of primordial dwarfism are very specific Jane, I'm surprised you couldn't tell the difference between Lucas and a small child."

"Well I'm _so-rry_!" Jane groaned. "I wasn't thinking!"

"Lucas is very sensitive about his height." Maura added, unnecessarily as she watched Jane begin to pace again. "Did you try apologizing?"

"Of course I tried, but I might have..." Jane mumbled something that was too low for any of the trio around her to hear and Maura stepped closer. "Put my foot in my mouth trying to apologize." Jane repeated, still as soft as before.

"Oh, Jane." Maura sighed. "I could call him, if you'd like."

"No, it's fine, really. We'll... we'll figure something out." Jane sighed.

"I could call Richard, ask if he'd like to meet me for coffee?" Maura suggested.

"Sure, great. Why not?" Jane threw her arms up, instantly becoming defensive and angry.

Maura tilted her head to one side as Jane turned away from her and wasn't sure what to do. Looking to Frost, then to Korsak, she pursed her lips together. Neither of the Detectives knew about the deeply personal turn their relationship had taken and she was quite certain Jane preferred to keep it that way for the time being. With those thoughts in mind, she glanced down to check the distance between them and decided she was too close.

"Mar, what are you doing?" Jane asked softly, the anger fading from her gaze, as Maura then inched a tad closer. Head snapping up, Maura looked at Jane and blinked, embarrassed. Shaking her head slightly, she cleared her throat.

"If I meet with Richard for coffee... I could get DNA." Maura explained. Jane's eyes instantly darkened again, her defenses rising.

"Just how would you do that?"

Maura blinked several times. Was it not obvious? "The cup he drinks from." Maura explained.

Realization struck the Detective and her body slumped, mostly from relief, but partly from knowing how foolish she'd just been. Looking to Maura apologetically, Jane reached out and placed her hand upon Maura's shoulder. When the M.E flinched slightly, Jane let out an exasperated sigh.

"What is it, Maura?"

"You know." Maura wiggled her head about and Jane narrowed her eyes, frowning as she shook her head. Maura wiggled her head a tad more, bulging her eyes slightly.

"Mar, what are you... are you trying to do this?" Jane asked, throwing a brief but obvious glance in Frost's direction, the Detective not seeing the movement.

"Yes!" Maura answered brightly. "I was trying to do just that!"

"Right, we'll work on that. And, it's fine. They're going to find out sooner or later." Jane reasoned and the casual comment made Maura's heart soar. Wanting to leap into Jane's arms again as she had done once before, Maura resisted the urge, knowing that would most certainly be crossing a boundary.

Placing the call to Richard was easy, inviting him for coffee was even easier. Dealing with Jane's mood swings, however, was not. Although the Detective fully understood why Maura was doing what she was doing, she still did not like it. Furthermore, when Maura informed her that no, Jane could not 'tag along', the woman sulked for a good hour after they'd left the precinct for the day.

Allowing Jane to pout, Maura busied herself checking on Bass, cleaning out the shallow water pool he liked to frolic in during the warm seasons. The linens on the bed needed changing and she took care of that also, whilst smiling to herself over Jane's petulant behavior. It wasn't until they sat down over take-away Chinese that Jane seemed to be back to her usual self.

"You won't change your mind, will you?" Jane asked tentatively as she speared a piece of pork with her chop-stick. Maura frowned slightly as she glanced down at the container in her hand.

"It's a bit late to change my mind about my meal."

"I wasn't talking about that." Jane remarked.

"Oh. Are you asking if I will enjoy Richard's company to the point that I end our relationship?"

"We're in one?"

"Aren't we?"

"I don't know. Are we?" Jane asked slyly and Maura could not help but permit a short smile, their circular conversation quickly going nowhere. Taking a mouthful of the plum duck she'd ordered, Maura chewed on it as she held Jane's gaze. Running her tongue over her lips, she tilted her head to one side. Jane watched and let out a soft groan at seeing Maura's tongue slid across her lips, setting her container down to sweep the M.E into a passionate embrace.

"Does that," Maura asked as she retrieved her meal once again whilst Jane looked quite self-satisfied, "Answer your question?"

"Not entirely. But it's a start." Jane permitted, drawing a soft laugh from the woman beside her. They ate in comfortable silence, cleared away the left-overs and shared the secret smiles and glances that two people in love often shared. Taking Maura's hand, Jane led her towards the bedroom to continue receiving an answer to her question.

* * *

><p>"Jane!" Angela Rizzoli came into the squad room, catching her daughter by surprise. Frowning, Jane rose from her desk.<p>

"Ma, what's wrong?"

"Jane, do you have a minute?" Angela asked, aware of Korsak's gaze flicking in her direction.

"Sure, Ma. What is it?"

"It's your father."

"Oh. Is that all? Ma, I'm busy. Maura's out with Richard and,"

"Whose Richard?" Angela asked, her tone darkening. "Is it a date? Why is she dating him? I thought she was dating..." Angela was stopped by Jane's hand coming across her mouth as she pulled her mother from the squad room, much to Korsak's disappointment, the conversation having suddenly taken a much more interesting turn.

"Ma, we haven't told anyone yet, alright? Now what is it about my father?"

"He wants to talk to you."

"How do you know?"

"He called me, Janie!" Angela declared, surprised that it was not obvious. Jane snorted and shook her head.

"Too bad."

"I think it's about the case." Angela offered. That caught Jane's attention.

Although she had wanted to remain in the squad room, where she at least had paper work as a distraction from the time, from the knowledge that Maura was 'out' with Richard at that very moment, Jane knew she should deal with her father once and for all. Although she had no desire to rekindle any sort of relationship with him, she supposed the least she could do was hear him out. Pleased with her sensible choice, knowing Maura would approve and would have in fact encouraged her to speak with him, Jane left the precinct.

A short while later, she rolled up outside of the modest home her father and Stella Anderson had built together, taking a moment to try to picture a young Carson in the front yard, Frank Rizzoli pitching a baseball to him. The image came to her, bringing with it the sting of tears and she bit them back. Now was not the time. Sliding out from behind the wheel, Jane marched up the front steps and knocked soundly upon the door.

"Janie."

"It's Detective." Jane could not keep the harshness from her tone as her father opened the door. Frank Rizzoli, a slightly hunched over man with slicked back coal-colored hair, nodded slowly as he held the door open, allowing his daughter to brush past him. One thing was for sure, his Janie had a temper on her.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Why don't you have a seat?"

"I'll stand, thank you." Jane declined. Frank let out a deep sigh and raised his hands into the air.

"I don't know how to make you understand."

"You can't. And if you asked me here to talk about that, I'm leaving."

"I wanted to explain, Ja... Detective." Frank said quickly.

"About?"

"The missing pictures." Frank said and Jane frowned slightly.

"How did you know we noticed that?"

"Janie, you don't have two children in the police force without learning a few things. As soon as I realized Stella had moved them, I knew you'd have noticed and tried to make it into some kind of connection in your case."

"Perhaps." Jane allowed. Frank turned and retreated from the living room, reappearing a moment later.

"The day you came over, Katrina was here, helping Stella with the funeral arraignments. These," Frank handed over one of the two picture frames that had been missing from the display case, "Were the pictures we settled on." Jane glanced down at the picture her father had handed to her, seeing Carson's smiling face as a teenager staring back up at her. The other, the one Frank held, was of Carson much older and standing with his mother and father. Jane bristled as she looked to Frank, seeing tears in her father's eyes.

"He was my son, Janie. Like you're my daughter. Like Tommy and Frank Jr are my sons. I loved him. I love you."

"I find that hard to believe." Jane said, her voice hoarse. Frank shook his head as he turned away from his daughter, unable to think of how to explain it to her. When he did not speak after several minutes, Jane stepped forward and set the picture frame upon the display cabinet before moving to the door.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Jane offered softly as she swung the front door open, leaving the house. When Frank did not call out after her, she kept walking, struggling to keep from crumbling until she was in the privacy and the safety of her vehicle. Only there did she break down, the tears flowing hot and fast as she wept for the father she'd never had and for the one she had lost.

Maura Isles breezed into the squad room, the smile on her lips instantly fading as she spied Jane's empty desk. Frost glanced up and offered her a smile as he looked to the evidence bag in her hand.

"That the DNA?" He asked.

"Yes. Where's Jane?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. Mrs. Rizzoli came past about an hour ago and I haven't seen either of them since."

"Thank you, Barry."

Only slightly alarmed, Maura moved through the precinct and into the cafe, where Angela stood behind the register, serving a customer with a smile. Waiting her turn in line, Maura stepped forward.

"Where's Jane?" She asked without wasting a moment of time.

"Oh, hello Dr. Isles. How are you today?" Angela said pointedly and Maura permitted a short, apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, Angela. I'm fine, thank you. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Jane's father called, he wanted to speak with her."

"Oh! Did she go see him?"

"Yes, about an hour ago." Maura sighed. It would have taken at least fifteen minutes to reach the household, and who knew Jane would stay and talk with the senior Rizzoli. Giving a soft farewell to Angela, Maura retreated to the morgue, deciding there was no better time to start processing the evidence she'd obtained.

When Jane felt she was ready, and looked the part, she returned to the precinct, as cool and calm as when she'd left. Bypassing the cafe, the squad room and anywhere else she might encounter Frost, Korsak or her mother, she went in search of the only person she wanted to see at that moment. Entering the morgue, she spied Maura at one of the stations inside the crime lab and took the moment to study the woman from afar.

With a slightly pensive look etched across her European features, Maura Isles had her hair flowing freely down her shoulders. The neat dress she wore was undoubtedly some high-priced designer outfit, but on Maura it looked casual, relaxed even. The medical jacket she wore was as long as the dress, falling just above her knees and Jane glanced to the peep-toe heels Maura wore, recalling how Maura had tickled her with the tip of her toes that morning, the memory bringing a wide smile to Jane's face.

On that note, she recalled how Maura had defended her father to a degree, in by saying that love was love. As open-minded as Jane was, she would never have the understanding that Maura did, the acceptance and the knowledge to treat her father no different now than she had before. It was simply not something Jane Rizzoli believed she could do; it would mean forgiving him and that was something she would not do, not when she was the one who saw her mother in the weeks after the finalization of the divorce, not when she was the one who had seen her once-proud mother having to turn to Jane and Maura for help and not just in the sense of having a place to live.

Inhaling deeply, Jane pressed on, wanting nothing more than to approach Maura and embrace her tightly. The way she felt about her friend, who was now so much more to her, could not be expressed in words but she knew, without a doubt, it was love and it was right.

Glancing up as Jane approached, Maura smiled brightly. Of course she had known Jane was watching her and it had taken all her concentration not to wriggle in her seat, or make some kind of gesture she knew Jane would appreciate, instead focusing on the DNA test. Maura knew the results would appear soon and she also knew Jane would be impatient. Rising before the Detective reached her work station, she took Jane's had and led her into the office, closing the door. It was not something she wanted to become a habit, having her door closed to her staff, but for Jane she knew she would undoubtedly always make an exception.

"How are you?"

"Ma told you, right?" Jane asked, smiling softly. Maura nodded. "I'm alright. I'm not, you know, spurting out rainbows, but I'm alright."

"I'm here for you, Jane."

"I know, Mar. Really, I'm still processing a bit. Maybe later?"

"Sure." Maura allowed with a soft smile. Placing her hand softly upon Jane's lower back, she pressed her lips to the Detective's cheek ever so gently. The gesture, sweet and kind, made Jane's lips part into a wide smile as they left the office a moment later. The results were in.

Richard Winston looked rather uninterested as he sat in the interrogation room, one leg neatly tucked over the other, his Giorgio Armani suit neat and tidy. Jane peered at him darkly through the two-way mirror, rocking back on her heels. CSU were working their way through Richard's apartment as he sat there although Jane knew as well as Frost and Korsak, the chances of finding anything connecting Richard to the crime were slim. They had the DNA, which had been enough for a search warrant the second time around, and could only hope it was enough to be searching his home and car. The gut feeling Jane had did not bode well. Richard, however, as calm and as casual as he looked, did not know how little they had.

Drawing in a deep breath, as if preparing for a marathon, Jane bounced lightly on her heels, shaking out her hands before she squared her shoulders and moved for the door, swinging it open and allowing Frost to pass her. It was all about the performance, the persona she presented to Richard. Of course he recognized her from the expo and he offered a somewhat smug smirk.

"Jane, I believe?"

"Detective Rizzoli, actually." Jane replied, quietly pulling out the chair across from him and sitting in it. Frost remained standing, his presence a silent one. Jane lent back in her chair and offered a smile to the man. "Tell me about your relationship with Carson Anderson."

"Ah, Carson." Richard sighed petulantly. "What can I tell you? We were... lovers." This was news to Jane, but she kept her expression neutral. "We'd known each other for years, seeing one another when we could."

"You mean, when he wasn't making house with Giannis?" At the mention of the Greek man's name, Richard's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Jane knew she had gotten under his skin and lent forward slightly. "Because, by what Giannis' told us, he and Carson were planning on moving to Greece, relocating, getting a fresh start."

"Whoever told you that was wrong." Richard declared firmly. "Carson would not have done that."

"Oh? Tell me about your business relationship with Carson."

"There's nothing to say about that, either."

"You don't have much to say, Mr. Winston."

"Tell me, Dr. Isles. Is she your cohort?" Richard lent forward, holding Jane's gaze, trying to wriggle under her skin as much as she had his. Jane's jaw clenched ever so slightly, but she managed to maintain a steady gaze until Richard backed down. Maura was not a subject that was up for discussion.

"Is it true you and Carson had a disagreement two days before he died?"

"Yes." Richard replied, as if suddenly deciding to play nicely. "Unfortunate business."

"Care to tell me what it was all about?"

"It was business related, financial troubles I was having that Carson was helping me with."

"I thought Carson funded the last two expos you held? One in New York, the other in," Jane glanced to Frost. "Florida, I believe."

"Yes, that's true, but hardly relevant. Nor is it a secret."

"Right."

"Really, Detective, is this necessary? I want Carson's murderer brought to justice, just as much as you do."

"I'm sure you do. And yes, this is necessary." Jane's dark eyes settled on Richard, causing the smile on his face to waver just a tad. Clearing her throat, Jane stretched in her seat.

"Pretty strange that Giannis didn't mention Carson was seeing someone else, don't you think?" Jane finally spoke to Frost, who merely nodded. "In fact, it's sort of something you'd want to know, right? Unless, you know, you were hiding something."

Jane threw a glance in Richard's direction. The man was clearly beginning to loose his cool and she felt victory fast approaching. Just one more push and she felt he'd give them what they needed. Cracking her knuckles, she braced herself; Richard would never know how difficult this performance was for her.

"I don't understand these types of people who have two or three loves, you know? It seems a bit greedy to me." Jane's thoughts were torn between keeping up the act and her father and she fought to push the ones of Frank Rizzoli aside. Frost gave a snort, stepping forward. Seeing Jane's inner anguish, the young man decided to break character.

"Makes me so angry, you know? How could you do that to someone you love? How could you keep them out of part of your life, like some dirty secret?" Frost regretted having to use those choice of words, but he too knew that Richard was close to imploding.

"I am not the one who kept things hidden!" Richard finally surrendered, giving the Detectives what they'd been fishing for. Neither of them spoke, allowing the agitated man to rise, slam his palms down upon the table and glare at them. "For years I gave Carson everything I could! Honesty, love, passion. And what did I get in return? Lying, deceit!" Richard exhaled loudly. "I did what anyone would have done."

"Yea, you killed him." Jane mused and was surprised to see the look of pure, genuine shock, on Richard's face.

"No." Richard was calmer as he spoke. "I would not have done that to Carson. I admit... I stole a small fortune from him, but I did not kill him." At this revelation, Jane sat forward, completely throwing aside the act she had Frost had maintained.

"You didn't shoot him? The day he died, did you see him?"

"No. Carson knew I had taken money from him. Only two people know the code to the safe he stores bills in. We argued, he left. I was going to call him, but by the time I did, it was too late."

Jane threw a look over at Frost. Nodding, he left the room, leaving Jane to pass a few words of apology and sympathy along to Richard before escorting him out of the precinct. Like Katrina, Richard was a victim, robbed of the love he'd had for Carson Anderson. And Jane knew precisely who had stolen it from them.

* * *

><p>"Detective Rizzoli," Giannis swung the door open, offering a wide smile to her and Detective Frost. Jane did not return the expression as she cleared her throat.<p>

"You came home early the day Carson died." She announced. Giannis' expression went from welcoming to stone in a split second as he took a step back, granting them access into his home. Sliding, barefoot, across the marbled floor, Giannis took a seat on the bottom of the grand stair case.

"Carson loved another man, Richard. I knew all about it, and I accepted that about him. But what I didn't accept was when I saw people taking advantage of him, leeching off his good fortunate and good nature." Giannis sighed. "I came home and I spoke with him, he was upset. His... other lover had stolen money from him. I was so angry, I wasn't thinking right."

"So you took the gun from the safe, you knew the combination, and you thought you'd scare Richard, make him give the money back?"

"Yes, but I didn't make it to the Hilton, Carson caught me and tried to stop me. We..." Giannis trailed off, his eyes glazed over with tears, a distant look in his face. "We struggled. The gun, it was so loud. There was so much blood, I didn't know what to do."

"What did you do?" Jane pressed, moving to sit beside him. Frost held back, watching from afar as Jane placed a sympathetic hand upon Giannis' knee.

"I panicked. I took his wallet and threw it in the bushes. I left him there," The man's voice cracked as the tears began to fall. "And I drove to Back Bay Fens and threw the Glock in there. I had another, so I drove home, put it in the safe and showered. Not long after, you were on my door."

"Why did you put the second gun back in the safe? Why not just dispose of the one you used?"

"I told you, I was panicked. I thought perhaps Carson had an inventory somewhere and if you realized the gun was missing, you would certainly discover what I'd done."

"There was never any doubt," Jane told him softly as she withdrew the handcuffs from the side pouch on her belt, "That we would have discovered what you did, one way or another."

Cuffing the man, she allowed Frost to take him as she stepped back, watching them leave, heaving a deep, heavy sigh. Looking about the house, the portrait caught her eye. Carson and Giannis, arms about one another, looking at each other with such love. Jane inhaled sharply. So much love, it seemed, that Carson turned out to just like their father and his mother; someone who could love more than one person. And it had cost him his life.

* * *

><p>The Dirty Robber was busier than usual and Jane had to inch her way through the crowd to reach the booth Korsak had saved for them. Maura greeted her with a bright smile and stood, placing her hand on Jane's shoulder and kissing her cheek. Embarrassed, Jane sat and glanced across the table. Frost merely chuckled, shaking his head, whilst Korsak sat there, eyes bulging out of his head at having seen such an intimate gesture between the two women.<p>

"The rumors are true?" Korsak managed.

"What rumors?" Maura asked innocently.

"That you two, you know, are shacked up."

"My home is hardly a shack!" Maura retorted, somewhat insulted until she realized that Korsak was teasing and Jane pointed out that 'shacked up' was a colloquial term for entering a partnership. Blushing slightly, Maura reached for her chardonnay.

"Giannis confessed, huh?" Korsak asked then, grunting as he shifted his greater weight, nudging up against Frost. Frost slapped the larger man on the shoulder and Jane arched an eyebrow.

"Are you two 'shacking up'?" She remarked, earning herself an alarmed glare from Korsak and a dead-pan look from Frost.

"That's not funny, yo." Frost remarked. Jane merely chuckled as she slid her hand over Maura's thigh.

"Yea, he confessed. He was tired of people taking advantage of the man he loved, so he decided to do something about it, only, well..." Jane trailed off. "I spoke with Katrina, she was shocked, to say the least."

"Me too. I never suspected him once." Maura admitted. The was no solid evidence against Giannis, the weapon had not yet been retrieved and even if it was, sediment from the Bay Fens would have washed it away. All they had was his confession, which he had stuck by, and it was enough.

The foursome drank in silence for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Jane lifted the Miller Light 64 to her lips and took a swig, eyes falling upon a familiar face as she lowered the bottle. Glancing over at Maura, she set the bottle down and exhaled slowly.

"Frank." Jane approached the older Rizzoli man, disgruntled that he was interrupting her down time.

"It's Dad. Pop. Father. But not Frank." The man stood up right, holding his daughter's gaze. "I never told you what you could and couldn't do, Janie, I never told you who you could and couldn't love. I know you found out some things about me I should have been honest with you about, and with your mother. I wasn't and for that I'm sorry. But I'm still your father and I don't want to loose you."

Jane let his words sink in, wishing Maura was there. In that moment, she felt a familiar hand slide into hers. Glancing to the woman standing beside her, Jane felt a flood of relief wash over her. Maura squeezed her hand slightly as she smiled at Jane, then looked to Frank.

"I think Jane just needs some time, Mr. Rizzoli." Maura stated plainly. "But I'm sure she's glad you came to see her." Jane felt Maura nudge her and she swallowed thickly, reluctantly offering a short smile.

"I am." She allowed. "And yea, I need more time to get my head around all this. I had a half-brother I never even knew. You had a secret life you kept from us. I'm not saying I agree with it, or that you shouldn't have kept it a secret, but I just don't know what to think right now."

"I understand." Frank said after several long moments. The man drew in a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. With a polite nod in Maura's direction and one last glance at Jane, he turned and left the establishment. The moment he was gone, Jane collapsed against Maura, the shorter woman holding her partner in strong, supportive arms.

"What if I can't ever forgive him, Mar?"

"He'll keep trying, sweetheart, until he either realizes it can't be worked out, or it is worked out." Maura offered softly, embracing Jane tightly, uncaring of any glances they received. Something told her if anyone had something to say, if Korsak didn't step in, Frost certainly would. Pulling Jane's head down softly, she rest it upon her shoulder, simply holding Jane, allowing Jane to take the time she needed to regain her composure.

When the Detective finally pulled back her head, she looked up at Maura with tear-stained eyes. Embarrassed, she gave a short laugh, trying to brush the tears away as she lent back in Maura's embrace. Tightening her grip, Maura waited and then pressed her lips to Jane's gently when the Detective met her gaze again.

"Take me home?" Jane asked softly. Maura felt her heart skip a beat, although she knew it was entirely impossible without going into cardiac arrhythmia. Smiling brightly at the Detective, she gave a short nod. Korsak and Frost would understand if the two women did not return to the booth, she knew. Leading Jane through the crowd, she stepped outside, inhaling fresh air deeply.

Jane linked her arm about Maura's waist, Maura doing likewise as they moved towards Maura's Prius. They strolled casually, neither with a care in the world.

"You know, if we keep going like this, we're going to have to get a u-haul."

"A u-haul? What for?" Maura inquired, cocking her head to one side. Jane chuckled to herself.

"All of Jo's stuff." She explained and Maura accepted it, which only made her laugh harder. With an exasperated smile, not quite understanding the joke, Maura gave Jane a playful shove, the taller woman swaying to one side before shoving Maura back. The game continued until they reached the Toyota and Maura pushed Jane up against it with just a touch more force, pinning the Detective to the vehicle.

"You're misbehaving, Jane Rizzoli."

"Punish me?"

"Oh, most certainly." Maura answered as she pressed her lips to Jane's, sliding her hand downwards and directly to Jane's center, pressing upwards for only a moment before pulling herself away from the woman entirely. Leaving Jane with her mouth agape, she smiled brightly as she ducked to the driver's side. Yes, Maura thought to herself, she would most certainly punish Jane Rizzoli. For the rest of their lives.

- **FIN** -


End file.
